I go to Camp Half-Blood
by ninjagal2000
Summary: Turns out I'm a demigod! The Last Olympian has happened, but the Lost Hero hasn't. special Thanks to my friend from school for the picture! I had some troubles, since it's the first story I've done... Rachel and Jack's shoulders are cut off. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me.
1. Chapter 1

** Hello, readers! This is my first story, so….if it's REALLY bad I'm sorry. Tell me what you think of it and tell your friends! Read & Review (flames are accepted****.) And I don't own Percy Jackson, but I do own me! **

As I ran across the seemingly endless bridge, I turned around to see the _thing_ closing in on me. I try to run faster, but I trip over my own feet and found myself falling, falling. The thing dived after me, caught me, and flew me to god-knows-where.

"You've been a lot of trouble to us, Nikki," it hissed, "but now we won't have to worry about _that _anymore, will we?"

I woke up screaming before it killed me for the third time this week.

…

As I walked into school – tired, as always – I tried to erase the nightmare from my mind. I shouldn't be worried. It was only a nightmare! Besides, today's a fieldtrip. I'm not sure where, but they're always fun.

Then I remembered – we're going on some famous hiking trail. We talked about some of the stuff we'd do in there like climbing trees, racing, and we even got to go over a waterfall!

It hit me- a waterfall…. a bridge…. my dream….

_No way! _I think to myself. _It's a coincidence! I'm being sooo paranoid!_

I walk into class and sit next to my two best friends- Rachel and Jack.

"You look like crap," Jack says bluntly.

"Thanks! That's JUST want I wanted to hear!" I reply.

Rachel asks, "Was it another nightmare?"

"No!" I lie. "I just went to bed late- I was watching TV till, like, one in the morning."

"Sure," she says sarcastically.

…

I grabbed a seat in the back of the bus, and force Jack to sit next to me before Rachel can ask any more questions. Why am I good at tactics?

…

When we started hiking, I kept panicking at the thought of a bridge. I knew I was being paranoid, but still!

Finally, we reached the waterfall, and nothing happened.

At first.

Friends were daring each other to go close to the edge and lean over the sides. People were laughing, pretending to push each other off. Then the screams started.

Someone screamed in terror, then people joined in, and soon everyone but me on the bridge was screaming – I didn't see anything.

Everyone ran off the bridge, and I got a good look at it, even though I already knew what I'd see- the _thing._

It had wings with talons at the end of them, leathery skin, and black, beady eyes. Eyes that were looking right at me.

"Nikki Goldleaf," it hissed, "Don't cause us more trouble than you already have- you never know what may happen to you if you do." It flew away without another word, but something else was coming onto the bridge.

Not something – someone.

"Are you Nikki?" the guy asked. I would've said something, but I was completely tongue-tied. He had black hair and brown eyes that I would have been totally okay with melting into, not to mention his whole dark-aura thing. At his side is a black blade that should scare me to death, but really just makes me really interested.

"Are you Nikki?" he asks again.

"What? Oh, yeah. That's me. Uh… who are you?"

"My name's Nico, and I'm here to bring you to Camp Half-blood."


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey, readers! Quick recap: I'm a half-blood and something just attacked me! (SPOILER ALERT: it was a Kindly One. Mrs. Dobbs, to be exact! [Don't remember her? She's in the Lightning Thief]) Keep reading and commenting! THANKS!**

"Wait, where?" I asked.

He rolled his eyes. "Camp Half-Blood. It's a demigod camp."

"DEMIGOD? I'M A DEMIGOD?!"

"Well unless a Kindly One decided that today was a nice day to attack a mortal, then yeah. You're a demigod."

_Whoa._ I thought. _I'm a myth! Awesome! I wonder who my godly parent is! Oh my gosh, what if I'm a daughter of Athena? I was kind of smart earlier-_

"Follow me," Nico said, and walked away, leaving me running to catch up.

"So, where is this camp?" I asked.

"It's best not to say here, considering all the mortals and stuff," he replied.

"Mortals? Oh, you mean my class?"

"Yeah. Best they know as little as possible."

"Oh, yeah. I – I totally get it." Even though I did get it, I looked back at my friends, just to see them one last time.

Then Jack said something. "Nikki, what the hell was that thing? Why did it attack you? Who's he, where are you going, and what on earth makes you want to follow a guy with a sword around his belt?"

At Jack's last question, Nico froze. "You can see the dagger?" he asked, and slowly turned to face him.

"Well, duh! It's not exactly covert!" Jack yelled.

"Well, in answer to your questions, it was a Kindly One, I don't know why it attacked her, I'm Nico, I can't tell you where we're going yet, and this 'guy with a sword' is going to protect her if something else comes. Oh, and you need to come with me, too."

When he said the "I'm going to protect her" part, my cheeks flamed red. He was cute! I couldn't help it!

"So then, where ever we're going to, let's go!" Jack said, way too nonchalant for the overall situation.

I thought _Does he get it? We're demigods! Sure, he's not obsessed with Greek mythology like me, but still! Demigods! That's huge! Hercules was a demigod! He was made into a god afterward, too – wait, are we going to become gods? _I was so excited! Why wasn't he?

"Okay, then. Right this way, whatever-your-name-is," Nico said.

"Jack," we say at the same time, which made us both start laughing.

"Well then, Jack, Nikki, let's go."

…

Turned out Camp Half-Blood was none other than a strawberry field with some very mix-matched buildings and a huge forest behind it. I loved it.

At about every building we look at I say something like, "Whoa" "Too cool!" "This is so a dream" "Holy crap!"

Whenever I said holy crap, Nico would look at me, kind of smiling, and say, "You really need to learn demigod curses. Who knows what you'll say?"

Finally, we get to the place with all the mix-matched buildings.

"Since you guys haven't been claimed yet," Nico explained after telling us what the buildings were, "you'll be staying in cabin eleven, with Hermes' kids. Let me go tell them you're here.

"Hey, Stolls! I got two new members, and I don't want you screwing with their heads!"

Two guys came running out of the cabin, followed by some other people.

"Nico, could we really harm a soul?" one of them asks.

"Yes, Connor, I know you could. And Travis, what do you think you're doing?"

Travis had been walking away slowly with a roll of toilet paper in his hands, walking toward cabin three.

"You really want to teepee a god's cabin? Percy's in there with Annabeth right now, you know." Nico told him.

Connor looked at Travis with a haha-we're-busted look. "You're right, Nico. That was wrong of me. Let me just save this – I mean, put it back," Travis said with a scary smile on his face.

"So now that you've met your cabin-mates, we'll just-"

He cut himself off and looked directly over Jack's head. When I looked, I did a double take. Above his head there was a glowing symbol of some kind – it looked almost like a skull and crossbones.

"Hail Jack, son of Thanatos, symbol of death," said Nico, as everyone but me bent down on one knee.

Me? I just stood there like an idiot, staring at Jack till the glowing symbol disappeared.

**Oh! Interesting! Tell me what you guys think, and don't forget to read and review! Who should my godly parent be? Tell me what you think! Oh and sorry if these chapters keep changing lengths – I'm working on it!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! This chapter doesn't have who Nikki's godly parent is; it's more of a personality explainer. SPOILER ALERT! (ish) Next chapter, you find out whom Nikki's godly parent is, and you meet another half-blood! Read and Review!**

A couple hours after Jack is claimed, everything has been sorted out.

Since Thanatos doesn't have a cabin, Jack will room with Nico in Hades's cabin.

I learned a few things myself. For starters I learned to say a whole sentence in Greek! I also learned some curse words, and Nico was right. The campers have no idea what I'll say when I see something cool.

I also learned that the Stoll brothers aren't as bad as people make them out to be. Well, they aren't bad to me when I participate in their pranks. They're so funny! You should've seen it; for the "mandatory initiation ceremony" I had to egg the Ares cabin!

At first I was like, "Hades, no! Do I look like I have a death wish?"

However, I gave in as soon as Clarisse threatened to pound Jack for reasons I still can't identify.

When the first egg hit the door, the whole cabin ran outside. That was, of course, an idiot move, because I had 23 eggs left. Then, JUST MY LUCK, I hit Clarisse. With an egg. In the face. IN THE FACE!

Then, it was obvious I had a death wish.

I ran away as fast as my long legs would carry me, but let's face it: I wasn't that fast at the time. Clarisse was on me within seconds.

"You are DEAD, punk!" she screamed.

The first thing that came to my head was _Oh my gods. I have been called punk. Percy was called punk. I am a punk. I'm a Percy punk. _I was also an idiot, because Percy wasn't around at the time, so my punk pal couldn't come to my aid when Clarisse started punching me in the face and gut. Ouch.

And Connor didn't have the guts to come and help me, so he ran away. I had no idea where to. Probably to the cabin to have them make me a wreath to burn.

Thankfully, after about another two minutes (which is three years in Clarisse-is-beating-you-to-death time) I heard Nico say, "Clarisse, come on. Leave her alone."

"Why should I, Corpse Breath?"

"Because, if you don't, when you die I'll make sure to have all the ghosts want to send you to the Fields of Punishment, if they don't already."

"Till next time," she whispered in my ear, as the rest of the egg on her face fell onto my eyes.

Nico helped me up. When he took me to his cabin (he had the heart to not make me face the Stoll brothers looking like I did) I walked up to the mirror.

"Gods," I grumbled.

I looked like επίστεγο Κένταυρος. (No offense to Chiron or his feces.) My nose was bleeding, and that mixed in with the blood coming from my mouth. I pulled up my shirt enough so I could see my sides. They looked like they were covered in bruises, and I knew the gods were going to have all of my dinner that night.

Nico handed me a washcloth, and I wiped the blood off my face, just as Jack came in.

"What happened to you?" he asked.

"Connor. Travis. 'Initiation.'" I said "initiation" in a very mocking tone.

"Well, you look worse than when you did the day that Kindly One attacked you."

"Thanks. That's _just _what I wanted to hear."

He smiled, and I felt like things could be pretty normal between us, even with the whole ex-boyfriend thing.

Oh. I forgot to tell you? He and I used to be… us.

He always told stupid jokes that made me laugh, and never did any of that gushy-romantic stuff. He was always honest with me, and was definitely blunt. He was about as smooth as sandpaper, but he was my sandpaper.

I think we broke up with an "I liked it better when we were just friends" talk. We both had the same opinion at the time, but now I'm having second thoughts. Was he?

Jack broke me out of my reverie. "Come on, Punching Bag. Let's get up back to cabin eleven."

…

"TRAVIS! CONNOR! ποιες είναι οι Άδη; Γιατί δεν με αφήνεις πίσω, όπως ότι πρέπει να ηττηθεί με χυμό πορτοκαλιού με Clarisse; Θα μπορούσε να έχω σκοτώσει!" I screamed at them. (And no, that's not the sentences I learned to say… I have no idea how I knew them.)

This obviously wasn't the response they thought they were going to get. In fact, the whole cabin looked beaming with pride and excitement, waiting for me to come back all happy-like. Boy, were they confused.

"We did get Nico…" Travis started, but I cut him off.

"Oh, because THAT makes a difference!"

"What's the big deal?" Connor asked. "You're not even hurt. You look better than you did before you threw an egg at her!"

I was about to make a snarky remark, but I didn't hear any sarcasm in his voice.

"What do you mean, I look _better?_"

"See for yourself," Travis said. He held up a mirror in front of me, and I gasped.

I didn't have any bruises or cuts. My face didn't look like it had been recently covered in blood. My nose _definitely _wasn't broken, like I expected it to be.

I looked down at my side, and it looked fine. Actually, it looked a bit tanner. I also realized I was starving.

"Oh," was all I managed to say.

"Wait, you mean you weren't like that after Nico got you?" Travis asked.

"No… I was all bruised and broken and stuff… What happened?"

Connor jumped in at that point. "Hermes to the rescue! He must've loved the mischief you caused, because you are officially blessed with his seal!"

I nodded, but that didn't feel right. "So, did I pass initiation?" I asked sarcastically.

"With flying colors!"

**So, hope you guys liked finding more out about Nikki! Hermes obviously likes her, or else he wouldn't have healed her. Or was it him in the first place? Find out next chapter!**

**-Ninja**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! Hoped you liked the last chapters! Tell your friends, and read and review!**

After the whole egg-the-Ares-cabin incident, things turned back to normal – after a week of death glares from his kids. During that time, I learned some minor archery from Will in the Apollo cabin, Annabeth taught me some Ancient Greek, and, oh yeah, I still hadn't been claimed.

_Great._ I thought to myself. _Just great. I'm going to be stuck with the γαμημένος Stoll brothers and their pranks for the rest of my time here. Perfect. Just perfect! _

Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, I was dead wrong. _Literally._

Percy and Annabeth had left earlier that day to get another demigod. I had no clue who it was, or where he/she was from. Will was helping me with accuracy when I saw Percy and Annabeth's flying chariot land in the dining pavilion. I was excited to see who the new kid was, so I, along with everyone on the shooting range, ran toward where they landed.

What we saw was not what we expected.

There was a girl, laying on the ground next the Percy. She looked kind of familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Annabeth yelled, "Apollo cabin! Get medicine, now! We have an injured recruit! It's deep! Come on, people! Hurry up!"

As I took a closer look at the girl and saw the red coming from her stomach, I realized where I knew her.

"Rachel!" I screamed. "No, no, no! Rachel! RACHEL!" The world was falling out from under me, and I was left tumbling through the air, falling into nothingness. I could almost hear the Fury hissing to me, "You were warned."

Minutes later, Will stepped away from her, shaking his head. "There's nothing I can do. Her injuries were too much. She – she's gone."

Something inside me was slipping, leaving me. I realized it was my sanity.

"Rachel?" I whimpered. "Rachel? Come on, Rachel, not funny. Come on, I want to show you around. Get up, Rachel. Get up!" I fell on the ground next to her, not really caring I was kneeling in her blood.

"Rachel, come on, get up! You've got to meet Nico, he – he's really funny. He's a son of Hades. How cool is that? All the gods and goddesses are real! And guess what? Jack's here, too. His dad's Thanatos, who's like, symbol of death or something. They'll be excited to meet you; you just have to get up to go see them. So, come on! And, who knows? Maybe I can convince Connor and Travis to not play tricks on you. You've got to meet the whole camp – just get up! Rachel, GET UP! RACHEL, PLEASE!"

"Nikki," Nico whispered to me, "she's gone."

"No!" I screamed. "She – she can't be!"

I felt Percy's hand on my shoulder. "Nikki…"

I pulled out of his grasp. "Why didn't you save her?" I accused him. "Why didn't you do anything? How could you? How could you let her die? How?" I was screaming at him. I knew it wasn't his fault, but I didn't care.

He just looked at me sadly, guiltily.

_He doesn't even get it. He doesn't understand what she could do, what she was, what she was to me. Why won't he get it?_

I felt hands pull at my shoulders, trying to move me – Clarisse.

"Come on, punk." She was being uncharacteristically nice.

When I struggled against her, she signaled some other Ares campers to help move me.

"Rachel," I whispered after we had walked a couple feet away, barely audible.

I was about to collapse into a little ball and cry, but there was a terrible pull in my gut, so much I thought I was going to be sick, and I stumbled. At the same time, I heard a coughing sound. Somehow, I knew whose it had been.

"Rachel!" I ran up to her, and saw all the blood that had been on the ground coming back to her, and her stomach wound resealing itself. I had no idea what had just happened, but she looked at me, and I didn't particularly care.

"Nikki. I – I think the Greek gods and goddesses are real," she mumbled.

I couldn't help it. I had tears of joy in my eyes, and she just made what felt like the most obvious statement in the world. I started laughing, hugging her, crying, and laughing some more.

"Yeah," I managed to say, "Yeah, they are."

I heard people behind me gasp, and at first I thought, _well _that _wasn't a delayed reaction at all._

Then Rachel said, "Nikki, what's that above your head?"

I looked up in time to see a staff with a serpent entwined around it disappear. It looked just the ones you'd see at a hospital.

"So, what?"I asked. "Hermes is my dad?"

I looked at the campers, and most of them were nodding. But when I looked at Chiron, he didn't look so sure.

"It looks much like Hermes's symbol, yes. But something isn't right…"

Then a booming voice came from around us; it must've been a god, because as far as I know, only they can do that trick.

"Hail, Nicole, daughter of Asclepius, god of healing and medicine." He said.

"Who?" I asked.

**How was it? How do you like Asclepius? (In case you couldn't tell, he's the one that healed Nikki after she egged the Ares cabin.) He's a real god; I didn't make him up for this story. It's freaking awesome! Tell me what you think! (Quick note: Where was Jack this whole time?) Till next time!**

**-Ninja**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys! Quick recap: my dad's Asclepius, and I have no clue who that is! Rachel was dead, I threw a tantrum, and now she's alive! Hurray! Read and Review!**

"Asclepius," Chiron said. "He's not a very major god, but he is said to have impressive powers, such as bringing people back from the dead… thought how his child could do that too, I have no idea."

"Okay. That's interesting and all, but I think I'm about to be sick." With that warning, I ran away and got sick. A lot.

_Percy doesn't get sick when he does something cool. _I thought to myself. _Now, I save my friend's life, and here I am – puking my guts out. Life's fair._

Really, I was just kidding with myself. Rachel was alive! Because of me! How the heck did I do that? That's got to be impossible or something.

_I wonder if Hades will get mad at me… or Thanatos, he does make the sure the dead stay dead…_

By then I felt better, and I didn't have any gross stuff on my shirt or around my mouth, so I came back to Rachel.

"… doesn't even need it." Will was telling Percy, Chiron, and Mr. D.

"None?" Chiron asked. "Are you sure?"

Mr. D actually liked what I did. "Some kid. And here she is now, little miss Mickey."

"Actually, Mr. D, my name is Nikki."

Percy jumped in. "Oh, he knows. He just doesn't like calling people by their real names."

"What?" Mr. D asks. "I love calling the campers by their real names, thank you very much Mr. Johnson."

I looked at Rachel. "How do you feel?"

"Like I could do Sisyphus's job on my own."

I smiled.

**Sisyphus is the guy who has to roll the boulder up the hill in the underworld, only for it to roll back down just as he reaches the top, cursed to do that forever. On that happy note, back to the story!**

"Sounds like an improvement to me."

"Nikki. We need to speak to you about where you will be placed. We don't have a cabin for Asclepius, so we're unsure where to put you," Chiron explains to me.

I completely forgot about that, and I'm about to say something when Connor said, "I think the gods are ahead of you, Chiron."

I jogged over to the place with all the buildings to find two new ones built – one for Jack, one for me.

"I think Asclepius is going to give Apollo a run for his money," Connor commented.

My cabin looked like a small hospital. It was made of a marble exterior with glass sliding doors.

_Glass._

I don't think I can stress that enough. _My bedroom door was glass, like an actual hospital._

The craziest thing was I loved it.

I ran inside like a kid in a candy store, and it smelled like cleaning supplies, like it was just mopped and waxed. Now, I don't mean that cheap wax that smells like crap. I mean the actual floor waxes that smell lightly of different scents, like lavender and other flowers or REAL lemons.

_God – gods, whatever – the dad I've never met is rubbing off on me._

I turned around, facing the doors, and the walls were lined with something that would probably scared a sane person: snakes. Everywhere. Not just snake skins - live ones, each one slithering in a glass cage just for them, with a label that tells what species they are and what their venom cures.

_I'm in paradise. It's official. _I was also crazy, but, hey! Live medicine! What's not to love?

Not to mention the rooms. You'd think they'd be hospital beds, right? Nope. They were huge, plush, double-beds. No, bed. I guess my dad didn't have intentions on giving me any half-siblings. There were three doors – one leads to a bathroom, one leads to a closet filled with regular clothes and stuff like surgical masks and gloves, and the lasts leads to a room with hospital beds in it, along with nectar, ambrosia, and other healing stuff.

_Elysium. It's official – the only explanation. Nothing can be this perfect. _You probably think I'm crazy, but when _your_ dad's the god of medicine, call me.

As I walked back outside, Rachel is looking at Annabeth and her half-siblings excitedly.

"What is it?" I asked her.

"Athena claimed me! According to Annabeth, I got the arts part of her," Rachel joked.

"I always knew you were blonde inside," I said with a smile. "Do you remember what happened?"

"Totally. Uh, thanks. For, you know…"

"Anytime – as long as I don't get sick afterwards."

And that's the beginning of my story of Camp Half-Blood. If you were paying attention, you'd remember that I still haven't meddled in any god's business. Yet.

**Hope you liked it! Tell me what you think! Was the room creepy to anyone else? (If I were actually the child of the god of medicine, I'm sure I'd love live medicine… probably.)**

**-Ninja**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys! Thanks for commenting, and thanks for telling me what you thought I could do better on! (And who/what the heck is Mary Sue?)**

The day after I was claimed was amazing. I was doing so much better in archery and Greek, and it was capture-the-flag day!

After giving a lot of my dinner to Asclepius, I sat at the new dining table – alone. That was the down side to not having siblings. It didn't matter much – I was completely in charge of my cabin, which was a bit of an upside. Not to mention I was generally a loner. (Cue audience saying _forever alone._)

When teams were made for capture the flag, they were Hermes, Ares, Hades, Thanatos, and Asclepius versus Athena, Poseidon, Apollo, and some other random campers. (I know that Jack's and my cabin are counted as random campers, okay?)

I looked at Rachel and smiled wickedly. "You owe me one for saving your life, you know."

She returned the devious smile, "I'll pay you back in full… later."

I looked at Annabeth and Percy. "And I'm still mad at you two, so don't think that just because I saved her means you're off the hook."

After we were armed (I got a heavy sword that felt really wrong – I needed to look into that) and got to our flag spots, we discussed tactics.

Everyone was bouncing off ideas, most of which sounded stupid. The Ares cabin kept insisting we run around and just try to maim the campers. There were ideas just as bad.

Then I got a not-so-shabby idea. "Guys."

Everyone turned to look at me.

"I've got it. We send scouts out – random people, I don't care who. But they need to be able to whistle this tune: _tweet-tweet-tweet tweet tweet-tweet-tweet tweet."_(Note: we weren't actually saying tweet.)

A couple people from the Hermes cabin whistled it back to me. "Perfect.

"Now, we send these people to look for the flag. Once it's found, make that call. While they're searching, we send two teams of Ares to get Percy at the creek, because it's obvious he's going to be there. One team will attack from in front; the others will climb trees and jump down on him. And NO MAIMING! Just knock him out."

Clarisse jumped in. "That counts as maiming."

I sighed. "Okay, then whoever doesn't care about losing their dessert privileges knocks him out. We'll do the same thing at the flag – some in front, some from above."

I thought a little bit more. "And… we'll need our flag surrounded by mud."

"Mud?" Travis asked.

"Yeah. Mud. Annabeth has a hat that'll turn her invisible – if she has to go through mud, we can see where she is." I explained.

"Is there anything else we need to worry about?" I asked.

All the campers shook their heads.

"Well then, guys, let's get ourselves a flag."

…

It started out according to plan. Mud was found, and our flag was surrounded by it. Some other campers from the Hermes cabin and I were the scouts, and Ares had been divided into their two teams.

When they got to the creek, only Percy was there – just like I'd guessed. I'm happy to say that Percy easily fended off the first team, but was completely doomed when team two came. He was out before he knew it. (And yes, that was the only maiming inflicted upon him.)

One of the other scouts found the flag, and they signaled the Ares cabin. That's when things started going wrong.

Team one came and fought bravely, but they didn't get the flag, mostly because there were enemy troops in the trees! Team two wasn't as smooth as their opponents, and fell out of the trees soon enough.

How do I know all this, you ask? I was standing there like an idiot, watching. Only watching! I have too many blonde moments.

As I stood idiotically, I saw an opening to the flag, and ran. And I mean _ran. _I didn't know anyone could run as fast as I did then.

I grabbed the flag and ran back, unnoticed. UNNOTICED! How did they miss their flag being taken? I didn't stop to ask.

When I saw the creek, I heard shouts from far behind me. Something along the lines of "It's gone!" followed by a string of words I'm not sure I should repeat.

I smiled and kept running to the creek, which was getting very close. Closer. Closer. Closer!

I jumped and sailed over part of it, then ran the rest of the way through.

The flag changed from Athena's symbol to yours truly: Asclepius!

My team swarmed me, cheering. I saw Percy knocked out by the creek, and thought _We might want to wake him up. _

I felt a small pull in my stomach, and Percy stirred. _Asclepius: two. Poseidon: zero._

We felt like cheering some more, but I noticed something overhead.

_Eh, it's just a bird. _I thought, and got back to happy celebration.

Then the "bird" swooped down toward me. A "bird" with leathery skin. A "bird" with talons on the end of its wings. A "bird" with beady eyes that were trained right on me.

"Kindly One!" I managed to warn before it sunk its talons into my shoulders. After that, I could only scream.

**OOOOH cliff-hanger! How'd you guys like it? A little thing to think about: who let the Fury in? HMM? Now that you've had lovely doubts planted in your head, thanks for commenting and telling me what you thought! Don't stop the flames, I'll try to do better. **

**-Ninja (P.S. Rayzins D- Really. You really couldn't just tell me that at school. Wow. Just wow. If you're not Rayzins D don't worry about this message. If you are- REALLY? I AM GOING TO HAVE A STERN TALK WITH YOU AT SCHOOL!) K now bye!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys! Time to find out what's happened to Nikki and the Fury! (SPOILER ALERT! You don't find out who let it in in this chapter.) Also, sorry it took so long. Did you know prophecies are annoying to write? I guess I'm not a child of Apollo.**

The Fury climbed higher and higher, its talons digging deeper into my shoulders.

"Let me go!" I screamed.

"We told you to stop messing around in the gods' business. Now you shall pay the price," it hissed.

I looked towards the border to see how much time I had. Just outside were the other two Furies, flying at the same level we were at and staring at me.

"Let go of me!" I screamed again. It only let out a harsh chuckle.

I tried to move my arms, but it sent a pain like no other through my whole body, particularly my shoulders, and made me scream again.

"HELP!" I knew it was useless, but it was the only thing I could think to do. "HELP!" I looked down.

Even if it did let me go, I'd fall onto the trees and probably die. The ground seemed so far away.

By then, we were so close to the edge of the property that the other Furies were closer to me than the top of the trees were.

I heard something fly past my ear and hit the Kindly One in the wing, and it let out a cry of pain. I felt the talons in my arm disappear and monster dust rain down on me as I fell through the air towards the hard ground.

…

"Where did she land?" I heard someone asking close by.

"I don't know! I was trying to make sure I only shot the Kindly One!" someone replied.

"NIKKI!" a different voice cried. It sounded closer.

My body felt numb at the moment, and I thought of a funny idea. "_Tweet-tweet-tweet tweet tweet-tweet-tweet tweet._" I whistled softly, and laughed to myself.

"Nikki? Was that you?" The voice that had been calling for me was Rachel.

"That was the tune she told us to whistle if we found the flag! It's her!" That must've been Jack.

"I hope it's me," I mumbled groggily, "or else this would be really strange."

"She's over here!" the other voice yelled. Will, from cabin seven.

"I want to be able to shoot like _that,_" I told Will. "When can I learn?"

"As soon as we fix that," Will said.

I didn't know what _that_ was, but I didn't really care. I was tired.

…

When I woke up, I found out what _that _was. I won't go into too much detail, because it really grosses me out to know my appendages could ever be in that position. My shoulder was out of its socket, which doesn't sound too bad, I know. It was my arm that was creepiest. My arm… my arm… my arm bone… well… it wasn't really all the way in my arm. I said it! My knee was twisted ninety degrees to the left, but the rest of my leg was straight. You don't even _want _to hear about my other injuries.

"Holy Hades!" I tried to scream, but it came out more as a mumble. "Ω δεν είναι θεοί μου γόνατα, υποτίθεται για να κάμψει αυτόν τον τρόπο! αυτό σίγουρα δεν είναι φυσικό! Πώς τα Τάρταρα είμαι ακόμα ζωντανός;"

"You're dad's watching out for you more than Poseidon is for Percy, Nikki," I heard Nico say next to me.

"Don't offend him, Nico. You may be a puddle of sea water before you know it."

"Rachel!" I tried to sit up, but… that doesn't work with my arm's predicament.

"Be careful! Gods, you scared me!"

"_You _were scared?" I joked weakly. More seriously, I said, "Rachel. You saved my life. I… How… Thank you."

"Hey, don't worry about it. Consider us even." she smiled.

"I'm hungry," I grumbled after a slight quiet pause.

"You've been out for two days. I would be, too!"

"Can I go eat?" I asked.

"You can't even sit up! Let alone get up, walk to the dining pavilion, and eat dinner!" Nico told me.

_Stupid bed. _I thought to myself. _I'd much rather be in my big, comfy one in my big, comfy cabin, with my big, living medicine. _

I felt a microscopic pull in my stomach, and my bone shivered slightly.

_A bit more? _I asked my arm. With a greater tug, the bone went right into place, and the skin healed.

"Holy-"Rachel started to say, but cut herself off. **(Sorry. I want to keep it rated T, and I don't know if I'd need to change it… just playing it safe.)**

I looked at my leg and thought _ew. You want to share in the arm's glory? _With another pull in my stomach, my knee returned to its rightful position, along with my other injuries.

I beamed. "Can I go and eat now?"

Deafly, Nico nodded. I jumped out and ran out of the Big House. The other campers had just sat down for dinner, so I sat down at my table. I grabbed some food, ran over to the fire, and dumped the whole thing into the flames. I started humming a random tune, "I am alive. I am alive. I am alive. I am alive. Mh, mh. I am alive. Thank-you Daddy, because I'm alive. Mhhhh," I kept humming the stupid tune about being alive thanks to my dad. I got some stares from most of the cabins, but the Apollo cabin started humming it, too.

_Was it really that bad? _I asked myself.

When I walked past Travis and Connor, they jumped up and started cheering.

"There she is! Able to fall from fifty-five feet and walk out of the Big House within two days, let's give a warm welcome to Nikki!" Connor said in his best announcer voice.

"Thank-you, Connor! I'd like to thank my supporters and my family, especially my dad. Without him, I wouldn't be here today!" I replied in my best hopeful-contestant voice.

"You're acting different," Travis said with a grin. "I like it!"

Rachel came running over to me. "It's her medicine. It makes her a little loopy. Nectar and Ambrosia wasn't working, so we gave her some pain-killers from her cabin."

"How many? You know, the most you're only supposed to have is six every twenty-four hours. If you gave me more, I'll probably be loopy and have damage to my liver," I told her.

"How'd you know that?" Rachel asked.

"In my closet there is a whole bookshelf on all kinds of medicine techniques, from ancient to present-day, and from machine-usage to the right gods to pray to! I read them all night over the last couple nights!"

"You're-"Travis tried to say, but was cut off by Chiron.

"-going to see the Oracle," Chiron finished, even though I was pretty sure that wasn't what Travis was about to say.

"Why?" I asked.

"It's obvious your father wants you alive. He probably wants you to go on some kind of quest for him. So, you're going to go see Rachel. The Oracle, not you, Rachel."

"Uh, okay?" I answered unsurely.

Chiron turned around, obviously looking for someone. When he spotted his target, he called, "Percy! Come show Nikki to Rachel. The Oracle, people! I know Rachel is right there!" He yelled before Seaweed Brain could tell him Rachel was right next to me.

"Okay, Chiron. Right this way, Nikki."

…

"Is she creepy?" I asked Percy before we reached her cave.

"Nah. Her house just looks creepy. She's cool," he assured me.

"If you say so," I replied doubtfully as we saw the cave she lived in.

…

"Rachel! Have you met Nikki yet?" Percy called.

"No, but I've heard of her. Asclepius's daughter, right? You're survived a lot," she told me, emerging from a back room in her cave.

_Caves have rooms? _I thought to myself.

"That'd be me. Uh, do you have a prophecy for me?" I asked.

"Probably. But I think we need to wait for Percy to leave, first," she replied.

"Okay then. See you later, guys!" Percy yelled to us as he walked out of the cave.

"So…" I said awkwardly. "Uh, how does this whole prophecy thing-"

Rachel's eyes changed to a sickly glowing green, and when she spoke, the same-shade green mist poured from her mouth.

"_The lesser ones will attempt to rise._

_You shall uncover another's disguise._

_You shall go to the land monsters roam,_

_And discover the wrong-doer's home._

_A friend will try to defend,_

_When a traitor plots your end."_

Rachel left the whole creepy-Oracle-eyes-and-poetry-speaking phase and looked at me slyly. "Like that. You may want to go and tell Chiron. Also, you can take two friends. Choose wisely. Good luck!"

…

"What was the prophecy?" Chiron asked when I got to the campfire just before the sing-along started.

I looked at him. "It was creepy. She said 'the lesser ones will attempt to rise. You shall uncover another's disguise. You shall go to the land monsters roam, and discover the wrong-doer's home. A friend will try to defend…"

I stopped and glanced at the rest of the camp. I would call all these people my friend. And if they tried to hurt me, I'd call them a traitor, too. "… when a traitor plots your end," I finished.

There was silence. And more silence. And a _bit _more silence… and no one broke it. The silence felt like a heavy blanket, weighing me down.

"So… I'll go to the land monster's roam – that's Tartarus, right? I have to go to Tartarus?" I asked, just realizing what that would mean. Monsters at every turn. Evil beings left and right. And Kronos would be there, too. No wonder my dad wanted me to do this and not him.

"It could also mean San Francisco," Annabeth offered. "A lot of monsters are there!"

"I say I start there!" I said immediately. "Can I choose who I want to come with me? Great!" I yelled before anyone could answer. "I want Rachel and Jack to come, if they want."

Rachel smiled instantly. "Of course! Who else is going to make you crafts while you slay me some monsters?"

Jack looked a bit more hesitant. "I don't know. A quest? I'm not sure if I'm ready… I mean, you should bring Nico or something! He's a good fighter, and you seem like you like him."

I felt blood rushing into my cheeks. "No way, Jack. I'd rather have you. What do you say? Will you come?"

He sighed. "Only if you heal me every time I get hurt."

I smiled. "You've got yourself a deal."

And so, our quest began.

**Hope you liked it! Tell me what monsters you want them to meet in San Francisco! Also, what do you think the prophecy means? **

**-Ninja**


	8. Chapter 8

**Okay guys, they're finally going on a quest, and it only took seven chapters! I'M SORRY! If you want it to start going faster, just tell me in the comments. If you're like me and support the Never-Ending Book theory, (a theory I did make up) then tell me in the comments! (I hope the theory's name is explanatory enough as to what it is…) also, this one's the longest chapter I did. Like, over triple my last chapter.**

I won't go into detail about the unimportant parts of us getting into San Francisco, but Ploutos was looking out for us. Ploutos is the god of wealth. I hadn't even known there _was _a god of wealth!

"Minor gods are SO under-appreciated!" I yelled as I discovered a wad of cash had magically been given to Argus in the night. Turns out, we'd _fly, _not drive_,_ to San Francisco, and it'd only take us about five hours!

"I agree," Jack growled angrily.

At 4:20, forty minutes before our flight, Rachel declared "Argus, to the airport! Before some monster decides we'd make a nice snack!" She was pretty happy for a girl who was about to go to the 'land where monsters roam.'

Argus started the car, and soon, Half-blood Hill was out of sight.

…

"Do you think Zeus will zap us out of the sky?" Jack asked, completely serious.

"Uh… I don't know why he'd do that," I replied. I really didn't.

We talked for about another hour, debating why gods would hurt demigods. We got scary creative.

Unfortunately, I didn't have an answer for why we hit an unpredicted thunderstorm that caused some dangerous turbulence.

"What the Hades?" I whispered loudly. "Zeus, uh, I would appreciate it if we weren't zapped out of the sky! I don't think anyone could heal from that!"

I guess that wasn't the right thing to say.

Thunder rumbled, and the airplane shook ominously. The "Fasten Your Seatbelts" sign lit up, and I hurriedly strapped it around myself. I was seriously confused why Zeus was attacking the plane. I looked at Rachel and saw that she was praying.

"Uh, mom? I know that I haven't actually met you, but could you _please _not let Zeus blast us out of the sky? Wouldn't that count as unwise or something? Sorry! You're the wise one; I'm more of an artist… so uh, about the whole stay-airborne thing?"

Jack was praying, too. I didn't know to whom. Maybe to any god or goddess who'd listen?

"παρακαλώ μην με σκοτώσεις τον Δία θέλω να ζήσει πραγματικά, πραγματικά, πραγματικά θέλουν να ζήσουν αυτό παρακαλώ να μην με σκοτώσει!"

I figured praying would be good. I obviously wasn't good at praying to Zeus, so I tried my dad.

"Dad? Well, uh, I've never really prayed to a god before, so I guess I should first thank you for the cabin with all the cool stuff in it. Um, do you know why Zeus is trying to blast us out of the sky? It's not fun, and, uh, I guess I want to live. So, um, yeah. Nice talk?" I finished it as a kind of question, not sure what the heck I was really doing. How do you pray to a god when you might be about to die, but you've almost died before and healed really quickly?

Then, PRAISE THE GODS, the thunder let up, and the turbulence lessened. We suffered minor turbulence the rest of the ride, as if it were Zeus trying to remind us he could hurt us at any second, but we landed in San Francisco in one piece.

But that was only the start of our problems.

…

"Okay, let's make a quick checklist," I said after we were pretty sure we were being followed by a monster. We had slipped into a very populated diner, and had stolen the only open booth. I sat alone facing the window, with Jack and Rachel sitting next to each other.

"_The lesser ones will attempt to rise. _So far, no check," I started.

"_You shall uncover another's disguise," _Rachel continued for me. "Also no check."

"_You shall go to the land monsters roam." _Jack said.

"Duck!" I yelped. We hid under the table a couple seconds, then, when I was sure our stalker-monster had left the window, we sat back up. "Definite check."

"_And discover the wrong-doer's home." _Rachel said. "Well, unless the wrong-doer lives in this diner, that's not a check."

Jack finished the last two lines. "_A friend will try to defend when a traitor plots your end."_

"Well, someone must've helped us when Zeus attacked, but I wouldn't call him a traitor. So far, that's been the only assassination attempt on me, so I guess that means no check." I tried to keep the mood light, but it was pretty obvious I was terrified. Someone was going to betray me, and someone else would try to save me. Emphasis on the _try _in the second part.

Rachel broke the silent tension. "Okay. It's almost ten PM, and I'm exhausted. I say we go to a cheap hotel, crash for the night, and then look for this 'wrong-doers home.' Sound like a plan?"

"Dinner first," Jack said.

…

We found a really cheap motel and crashed for the night. Thank the gods, nothing happened. After a quick breakfast at a nearby Waffle House, we thought of how we'd search all of San Francisco for a house.

"We obviously can't split up," I reasoned. "But we won't cover ANY ground if we stick together."

"If we split up, we'll be killed quickly," Rachel said. "I can't fight worth crap with my dagger, whenever you try to use your sword, you're okay, but I don't think you'd do too well against a monster."

I nodded in total agreement.

"Well," Jack said before Rachel could insult his fighting skills, "let's eliminate. This is a traitor's house, right? It'd probably be where most monsters are, assuming it's a monster itself. So, we can go to those places first. Annabeth said that in her experience, monsters tend to be store owners. So we can go to those places."

"That's a great idea!" I complimented.

"There's just one tiny problem." Rachel ruined the moment. "We have no clue where monsters usually are in this city."

"Let's think," I joked. "Who do we know that has a vast knowledge of not only monsters, but where the most monsters in San Francisco are? Well, we definitely don't know anyone who lives here, so..."

"Shut up!" Rachel said. "Okay, okay, let's Iris-message Annabeth. Only, it's about 8:40 here. That means it's about six o'clock in camp."

"Iris-message Percy. Make him get Annabeth. He'll get over it. Besides, that's not that early," Jack ensured.

"Anyone have a drachma?" I asked.

"Crap," Jack said. "None here."

"We're screwed. I've got nothing!" Rachel wailed.

I looked at the candy store a few buildings down. "We're in luck, guys. Do you think Iris likes chocolate?"

…

After we'd bought the chocolate coins, I said, "Now we just need a rainbow. Any ideas?"

"Any carwashes nearby?" Jack asked hopefully. I shook my head – I had checked earlier.

"Think we could convince Zeus to make it rain so we could get a rainbow afterwards?" Rachel asked jokingly.

"Don't tempt him," I grumbled.

I thought. How the Hades do you get a rainbow? I looked around. There had been a hose faucet around the back of the motel, but we couldn't really use that to get a rainbow. I checked up and down the street and saw the store I had been hoping for.

Rachel had noticed it, too. "What do you call a helpful store?"

I went along with her joke. "A convenience store."

…

I walked up to the store, hoping against hope that they'd have what we were looking for. We probably looked funny, three kids walking into a store at around nine in the morning when everyone was at work or school, asking for a gardening supply.

The clerk-woman looked at us funny, but pointed to where it would be.

"Thanks!" I said.

We split up to look down the aisles. I felt like I'd been walking down the same aisle for a while.

_This place is huge! It didn't look this big from the outside. _

By then I was pretty sure I wasn't getting any closer to the end of the aisle. I looked at the items on the shelves, but they were moving at the pace I was. I kept staring at them, wondering if I was going crazy. I kept watching them, and I noticed that I'd already seen some of these products. I looked closer, and realized that the shelves seemed to be replaying themselves, almost like a movie set on repeat, so once it ends, it just starts from the beginning again.

I remembered what Jack had said. _'Monsters tend to be store owners.'_

"Rachel, Jack, run! I think it's a trap!" I yelled.

"Oh, it is," a raspy voice behind me crackled.

I turned around, and was greeted by a terrifying sight. Before me, there was a woman. She might've been pretty, if not for the fact her skin was green and she had thousands of snakes for hair. She had an evil look to her eyes, and she seemed ancient – different from the ones in our forest.

Halfway down her body, she transformed into a dragon. Its scales were black, with nails that looked like they could cut through rock, and a barbed tail. She must've been twenty feet long, at least, and her legs were surrounded by more snakes. Where the dragon body met the human half, there was… something. Her skin looked like boiling water, bubbling and changing. Only, the boiling water had live animals in it that popped up at random times, like a lion or a bear.

Kampê.

I reached for my sword I had cleverly concealed around my leg, hidden by my pant leg, but it wasn't there. I looked up at the monster, and it was holding my sword.

"Your father and the other gods think so little of me. They think that they can command me, as if having Echidna on their side will make me bow to them. When Thanatos and the other pathetic minor gods come to get your soul, give them a message: I cannot be controlled nor commanded! Your death will be proof enough for Asclepius. Goodbye, demigod," she said, in a voice that was almost trying for sweet, but in a sick way. It took a step toward me.

"You – you're dead!" I screamed. "Briares killed you! He buried you alive!"

It hissed at me. "I know. You can tell Thanatos that bringing me back from Tartarus was a mistake. I will not help in his weak rebellion!"

"Re-rebellion? What are you talking about?"

It laughed in a papery sort of way. "You truly are clueless, child. I'm doing you a favor, killing you before the battle that is to come. Now, die!"

It lunged at me. I jumped back, but it reached out the sword. It pierced my skin, cutting deep into my skin. I collapsed, trying to stop the blood that was flooding through the wound in my stomach. I tried to concentrate – to tell my gut to pull, but nothing happened.

It advanced, and was upon me in instants. "Puny hero," she rasped. "You will die, and you shall be sent to Tartarus for trying to overthrow the gods!"

She lifted my sword, and brought it sweeping at my neck for the final kill. I screamed, and literally saw my life flash before my eyes. All the times I'd had with my friends. Sleep-overs at Rachel's, meeting Jack on his first day of school, our first kiss together, Rachel never forcing herself on us when we wanted to just talk together, her preventing tension when we broke up, Jack and I finding out we were half-bloods. Healing Rachel. And now, being unable to heal myself.

The sword touched the tip of my neck, its momentum carrying it down. I felt the sword continue through me, cutting through my throat. I heard it hit the ground with a hard _crack! _after it had passed completely through my neck.

WHAT THE σκατά πόσο χάλια είναι ο καθένας υποτίθεται ότι για να επιβιώσει αυτό που αποκεφαλίστηκε και είμαι ζωντανός αυτό δεν είναι δυνατό αυτό το? I felt? I heard? I'M SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD! HOW CAN A DEAD PERSON FEEL AND HEAR? **(If you can't tell, Nikki's not dead.)**

"How is this possible?" screamed Kampê. "Your head was to be my trophy! How do you live?"

_I don't fu- I mean, freaking know! _I hadn't noticed earlier, (considering I was being killed and all) but my skin re-attached itself when the sword was halfway through me. As it traveled farther down, the muscle it had sliced healed, and it kept going like that till it cracked the floor, my neck completely resealing itself.

"If you do not wish to die, then I shall torture you like an immortal!" it yelled.

She learned her head closer to me, the snakes stretching to attack me. I screamed, thinking this would be a fate worse than death. Just before the first snake could bite me, she exploded in a cloud of monster dust.

I looked behind her, but no one was there. I looked at the aisles, but they weren't moving. I reached out, and my hand brushed the flower pot that I thought was there. I sighed in relief. No more moving aisles.

I got to my feet shakily. When I could stand properly, I reached down and picked up my sword.

"Rachel? Jack? Can you hear me?" I yelled, worried that they may not respond.

"Nikki!" Jack responded. "I'm stuck!"

I was confused, but walked around to find him still stuck on his never-ending aisle.

"Run this way!" I instructed.

He ran to me, and was out of his prison pretty quickly. "Where's Rachel?" We asked at the same time. It wasn't funny like it had been after I'd egged the Ares cabin.

"Let's check this way. I don't want to split up again," I told him. He agreed.

We walked down a couple of aisles, but didn't see her. We slowly approached the counter. When I peered over, I found Rachel. And why she was crying.

"Rachel. We don't need to stay. Let's go," Jack tried to comfort her.

"This must be the actual store owner," she whispered.

"Rachel," I said firmly. "We need to leave. I see you found the sprinkler. How'd you get out of the weird aisle-trick thing?" I tried to change the subject.

She sniffed. "What aisle-trick?" she asked.

"You weren't stuck in-"Jack began.

"I guess not. You found the sprinkler, came to pay for it, and found this person. How'd you know it was the real clerk?" I interrupted.

She held up a shirt next to the body. It had a name tag telling you his name was Edward, and he was the clerk.

"Let's go. We don't need to waste our time here," I told her. I didn't want to just leave the body, but I knew no one could heal him.

She nodded deafly. Jack helped her stand up, careful to turn her away from Edward's corpse.

Before we left the store, I looked back at him. I thought the monster's nails could cut through rock, so skinning him mustn't have been a problem for them.

…

We walked back to the motel in silence. Rachel was still trembling, and we were all in a cold sweat. We reached the back of the motel, and hooked up the sprinkler to the hose we stole, which we hooked up to the hose faucet. We set the sprinkler to a mist. Once there was a good rainbow, I pulled out one of the chocolate coins. The golden wrapping was peeling off, and the chocolate was slightly melted, and I was still hoping Iris would be okay with it.

"Oh Iris, goddess of the rainbow, accept my pathetic offering," I said, and dropped the pathetic offering into the rainbow and…

**(Dramatic pause for emphasis!)**

She accepted it!

"Percy Jackson," I said.

He was still sleeping, even if it was… I realized I had no idea what time it was.

"How should we wake him up?" Rachel whispered.

I wasn't going to be sweet. I was just attacked by a monster that was supposed to be dead, and I was just thoroughly disturbed. "PERCUES JACKSON! GET YOUR LAZY ASS OUT OF BED! IT'S LATE ENOUGH! WE NEED TO TALK TO ANNABETH! GET OUT OF BED!" I bellowed.

He fell out of bed and looked to where the rainbow was coming from. Somehow, his window had gotten misty. The sunlight filtered through it and made a rainbow.

_How did I know that? _It was like I could sense the rainbow. _Creepy. _

"I'm up!" he said, looking into the Iris-message.

"Good to know," I said flatly. "Go get Annabeth. We have a couple questions."

"Uh, sure. Can I get dressed?"

"SHE'LL GET OVER IT! NOW GO AND GET HER!" I yelled.

"Gods! I'm going!"

When I heard him close the door, Jack told me, "Did you have to be so mean to him?"

"I don't care. It'd bug me if we hadn't just been attacked by a monster and discovered its victim. I'm not in a good mood. Rachel, are you sure you're okay?" I asked her.

She shook her head.

"Come here," I told her, and we hugged. "It's gonna be okay. I'm not going to let anything else bad happen because of me," I assured her. Gods, was I off.

"Found her!" Percy declared as he pulled Annabeth into the message.

"Thanks. Annabeth, where are most monsters here? Other than Mount Tamalpias - I know where Atlas is," I said, getting right to the point.

"Generally around the mountain. Why do you need to know?" she asked suspiciously.

I stared at her. I didn't say anything, just looked at her gravely.

"Don't do anything stupid," she warned.

"I went on this quest, didn't I?" I said and the rainbow dissolved. No one touched it, so I didn't know how. I just wanted the message to end, and it did. Freaky.

"Come on," I told them. "We're going to a mountain."

…

"You're really taking control of this quest!" Rachel complimented after we had paid the taxi driver who had taken us to the bottom of the mountain. "I wish it didn't take a monster attacking us, but better late than never!"

I just looked at her. She was being funny, but I didn't feel like laughing. So I didn't. I guess I wasn't in a joking mood.

"I'm hungry," I finally said to break the tension. "Want to go eat somewhere?" I looked up and down the deserted road that lead to the bottom of the mountain. There was only one building on the road: a restaurant.

"That place looks good!" I said, pointing to it. It was a single story high, and it had a fancy-looking back patio with concrete benches. The sign was in an old-fashioned print in black in white: Grammy's Home-cooked Diner.

"Sure!" Jack agreed hurriedly.

Rachel was more reluctant, but she agreed. It did smell delicious, even from here.

We all jogged till we reached the front doors, hoping it was open. It was!

"Awesome!" I yelled. I opened the door, and a sweet-sounding bell clattered overhead. We were hit in the face with the smell of all the food: cornbread, applesauce, homemade hamburgers, homemade ice cream floats, and other things I couldn't identify.

"Hello?" Jack called. "Anyone here?"

"Oh, hello there, dearies!" came a kind voice from behind the door that led outside. "So sorry to keep you waiting. You must be hungry! Here, come outside, it's such a lovely day!"

We walked outside and saw a woman who must be the owner of the diner. She was middle-eastern, but that's about the best I could describe her. She covered her face with a light veil that was just thick enough I couldn't make out any specific features.

"Let me go inside and get you three some menus!" her voice tinkled.

Rachel looked around and gasped. She tugged at my sleeve, and pointed to some of the tables. I realized there were intricately carved people sitting on them, each in a different position. They were all smiling an off-kind of smile. Almost a smile, but about to warp into something else. Humor? Surprise?

Fear?

_Now, why would anyone be scared at a place like this? _I thought. _It's beautiful, and the lady's so nice!_

"Those are amazing!" I told the woman before she could leave. "Did you do them yourself?"

"Well, yes, actually. I ask customers to take a position, and I get some pictures and make a sculpture for them. I don't have many customers, so I do it for every customer I get!"

There were three groups of people.

"It's a shame! This place smells delicious!" Rachel said.

She looked like she was smiling. "Oh, my. Thank you!" her voice sounded a bit tighter for a second, but then I was sure I had imagined it.

"Now, let's go get those menus!"

After she left, I looked around, not just at the statues. I realized there was a small fountain in the back of the garden, and it looked like a seahorse spouting water. It didn't look as detailed as the other statues, but it was still pretty good.

On each table, there was a little gnome centerpiece. They were holding flowers, each in full bloom.

"This place is beautiful," I whispered in awe. We grabbed an empty table, and started joking around.

_That's funny. I wasn't in a joking mood earlier._ I thought to myself.

"Here you are. I also got you some apple pie – it's fresh out of the oven. Enjoy, and tell me what you want in a minute or two!" the woman told us nicely.

"Okay!" I replied, already cutting a slice of pie.

When she left, Rachel looked at us, having to peer around Jack to see me, since she was sitting at the edge. "I don't like it here. It's beginning to creep me out. I think we should leave."

I was thinking about how my mood felt different and almost agreed with her, but Jack said, "Are you crazy? This place is amazing! You haven't eaten the pie. Try it, and you'll never want to leave."

"If we stay here much longer, I think that'll happen!" she whispered urgently as the owner re-emerged.

"Your menus, children! I was wondering, could I take your pictures? I would love to make a statue for such cute kids as you!" she told us.

"I don't think we should-"Rachel began, but was cut off.

"Of course you can!" Jack replied.

"Thank you! Could you guys move a little closer together? Oh, you three will look so cute!"

We did as she asked.

"Perfect! Now, smile big! I always seem to get the faces _just _off, and I'd love to make this one perfect!" She began lifting her veil.

"Don't you need a camera?" I asked.

"Oh, I have one with me, dearie! No worries."

Just before she lifted her veil, everything fell into place. Statues everywhere. Sweet, seemingly-harmless old lady. Covered face. ANOTHER monster who was supposed to be dead.

"Don't look!" I screamed. I squeezed my eyes shut, and I heard Medusa bellow in rage.

"You stupid children! Open your eyes! You would prefer to be statues instead of be in the war bound to come. The gods are revolting! Choose your side wisely, for you will perish if you choose poorly!" she screamed in a harsh voice.

"Don't look!" I yelled to my friends.

"Poor Nikki. You don't even know what is to happen to you. Betrayed by your friend, blessed by so many, only to receive double the curses. A statue would be a better life for you. I would keep you safe. I would protect you from harm," she said sweetly. "Open your eyes, sweet child. Open your eyes, and never need to face the danger that is bound to come to you."

I wanted to open my eyes. She was so sweet. And she was right. My friend was supposed to kill me, and even if I lived, something worse would come. I'd be cursed, and I would have a terrible life forever! If I opened my eyes now, I'd never have to worry. Never have to suffer pain. Never have to live in sorrow.

I felt her lean in to me, so close she wouldn't see my friends even if they opened their eyes.

"Open your eyes, young one. You won't have to suffer. I want you to be safe with me. Forever," Medusa told me.

"NO!" Rachel screamed. I heard the monster cry out in pain, and then it was quiet.

"You can open your eyes now," I heard Rachel say. I squinted, and Medusa was gone. "I killed her. You're lucky she was so close to you – I wouldn't have been able to sneak around and stab her if she weren't."

It was kind of creepy for her to say that it was a good thing an evil monster was inches from my face, but I said, "Nice going!" anyway. "You just saved my life!" That much was definitely true.

She smiled. "Looks like you're in debt to me, now."

"Okay. Two monsters down, five thousand more to go," I grumbled. "Let's keep looking."

As we walked out of the diner, I thought about what Medusa had said. 'The gods are revolting.' And what had the Kampê said. 'I will not help Thanatos in his weak rebellion.'

I think I understood another line of the prophecy. _'The lesser ones will attempt to rise.'_

I also realized I wasn't telling my friends. I remembered how Jack had acted. Hesitant around me, but very excited before we went into a possible life-threating situation.

I thought I understood the last two lines of the prophecy.

**Sorry about the whole skinned guy. I wasn't gonna go into much detail. Kinda creepy. How do you like it so far? In case you were wondering it is 4441 words. And the prophecy? What do you think the other lines mean? Tell me! Till next time! (P.S. the never-ending book thing- the book actually ends. Thought I should clear that up.)**

**-Ninja**


	9. Chapter 9

**Yay! Now it's chapter nine! FREAKING AWESOME SPOILER ALERT THAT'S KIND OF NOT REALLY SPOILING ANYTHING IMPORTANT: you find out the rest of the prophecy in this & next chapter. EVEN COOLER SPOILER ALERT THAT'S A BIT MORE SPOILING: the last two lines of the prophecy are fulfilled next chapter! ****I'm writing as fast as I can! ****END SPOILERS. If you haven't already checked it out (thanks RubyArtist334, VidiaPhoenix, blitzhannan, iloveaphrodite!) look at a new story of mine: **_**Olympus: Ask the**__**Gods!**_** (or not. Whatever you prefer)**

We searched all day, but didn't find anything, monsters- or traitor-wise. By the time the sun was setting, I was exhausted.

I yawned loudly. "Think we should rent a room, or keep looking?" I asked Rachel and Jack.

"Room," Rachel told me, while Jack said, "Keep looking."

We both looked at him.

"Think about it. It's been a day, and we haven't figured out anything from the prophecy except that we're where there are a ton of monsters. We need to keep looking!"

I looked around the road we were walking on, hoping to see an inn. I looked up the road, and saw Mount Tamalpais in the distance. We got considerably far away from it, wanting to avoid further monsters run-ins.

I saw a small inn: Come On Inn.

"Nope. There's an inn. Let's crash for the night," I told them.

…

We got our room: It was painted beige, but was so faded it looked almost white, and the only furniture was a desk with a chair, a thin twin bed, and an armchair.

I walked over to the bathroom to wash my hands. Being in the room felt gross.

I reached the sink, and turned the water on full blast. It came out a rusty color, and I realized the drain's stopper was rusted shut, so the water swirled in the basin. Lovely. The light flickered overhead, giving the water a dead rainbow.

The rainbow shivered. I blinked, thinking I'd imagined it, but there it was: shifting, like it was trying to change but couldn't. It twitched, and Percy was looking at me from the water with Annabeth and Nico at his side.

I jumped. "Uh, Rachel! Jack! Iris-message! It's Percy, Annabeth, and Nico!" I yelled as I opened the bathroom door.

They walked into the crowded bathroom and looked at our friends.

"Is something wrong?" I asked them.

Annabeth looked worried, but Percy and Nico looked solemn. "Yeah. Percy's dad has been keeping an eye on Medusa's head. He apparently salvaged it from when Percy's mom tried to get rid of it. Anyway, he kept it as a momentum of Percy's bravery or something. He told us today: it's gone," Nico told us.

I glared at him. "Oh, NOW you tell us!"

"Yeah, now that I've killed it, but not before it almost turned Nikki into a statue! Not to mention it told her that she's been blessed, only to have double the curses! I have to say, your timing is incredible!" Rachel complimented sarcastically.

Nico looked dumbstruck. "You killed Medusa? Nice."

Rachel blushed, and Jack just glared. He looked… jealous?

"I've been meaning to ask: How would a monster get back from the dead early?" I asked the three of them.

"Early?" Percy asked. "I don't think they can." He looked to both Annabeth and Nico for confirmation. They both were nodding. "It's impossible."

I gulped. "Oh. Then the Kampê has an incredibly short cycle in Tartarus."

"WHAT?" cried all three of the demigods on the other side of the message.

"You faced the Kampê? How are you alive?" Percy asked.

I rubbed my neck, remembering my experience. I realized I hadn't told my friends. Well, now was as a good as time as ever. I swallowed through the lump in my throat. "Well, you see, it… used my sword and… well… tried to cut off my head. I mean, it literally should've cut off my head, but my neck healed before it was even done. So, you know. I'm alive." I swallowed again. I tried to not make it sound as bad as it really had been.

Everyone paled. "You never told us…" Rachel said slowly.

"It slipped my mind. I mean, I was worried about you, after that guy…" I trailed off. We all knew what I was talking about. I looked at the water. "I couldn't save him. I don't think anyone could've."

They all looked terrified. I mean, I was supposed to be dead and headless right now.

"Anything else?" I asked, trying to break the tension.

Nico spoke. "Yeah. Just… be careful, Nikki."

He waved his hand through the rainbow, and the message ended.

"Let's go to bed," I said. "We're going to have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

…

That night, I had a vivid dream. I was in a small bedroom, with only an old bed against one wall, and a single window against another.

On the bed there was a man. I don't know how I knew, but it was my dad.

To say the least, he's not what I expected him to look like. This is going to seem weird, but my dad looked kind of… well… hot.

He was wearing a doctor's coat and had the rod of Asclepius with him, but his arms were buff. He wasn't tan, but he wasn't pale, either. He had thick hair that was slightly darker than Percy's, and hazel eyes. Not to mention he looked really young. Not what I was expecting my dad to look like.

He looked at me and smiled warmly. "Nicole! My, you've grown since I last saw you!"

I stared at him. I must've looked pretty stupid, because he laughed. "I guess you didn't expect me to look like this." I shook my head. He blinked, and his hair turned to white. His face changed, too: he looked older and wiser. He still wore the doctor's coat, and he still had the rod, but he wasn't as strong. "Better?"

I kept looking at him. "Dad?"

"Yes?"

"Why am I here?" I asked slowly.

He sighed. "Ah, yes. I suppose I was blunt when I wanted to know something, too. I'm here to tell you about the war that is going to occur."

"War? What war? Why is there going to be a war? Who's going to war?" I blared questions out at him.

"The war between the gods. The Olympians don't think they need minor gods anymore. They've decided to kill us all. I'm here to prevent that. I don't know if you've figured this out yet, but Zeus killed me long ago."

I looked at him blankly. "You can't kill a god."

He smiled sadly. "For a time, I was dead. But, being the god of healing and medicine, I came back to life, though I had to do terrible things to get back. Some stories say that I was killed as a mortal and resurrected as a god. That's incorrect. Zeus tried to kill me. I'm here to return the favor."

I gulped. "You – you're going to kill him?" I asked, horrified.

"Oh, no! Well, I am, but only to protect the minor gods! This is not about revenge. Don't you understand? Zeus wants all minor gods dead. Iris, Thanatos, me! I can't let that happen. The only way to prevent it is to kill him.

"I need your help to do that."

Now I gasped. "WHAT? You want me to kill a god?! Are you insane?" I probably shouldn't have talked to a god like that, but I was freaking out.

"No! Oh, no no no! I couldn't ask that of you! I need you to watch the gods. I need you to stay at Camp Half-blood, and tell me updates about what the gods are doing! If they're having more children, if the weather is bad, anything! I need you on my side, Nikki." His voice was understanding. My dad needed my help. I looked into his kind eyes.

"Of course I'll help you, dad. I-I love you."

He smiled. "And I love you, my daughter. I'm so proud."

I woke up.

…

I was debating if I should tell Rachel. I obviously wouldn't tell Jack, since I thought he was going to try to kill me.

"Okay, Nikki. Where to now?" Rachel asked me. Jack had left to look for a place to eat breakfast, insisting he'd be okay on his own for five minutes.

I decided to tell Rachel. "Rachel, I need to talk to you. It-it's about the prophecy. I think I'm beginning to understand."

I told her about my dream. I told her what the Kampê had said. I told her how freaked out I was.

"I think I understand almost all of the prophecy.

"_The lesser ones will attempt to rise. _The minor gods are overthrowing Zeus.

"_You shall uncover another's disguise. _My dad's disguise was death. He's alive. It's a pretty good disguise, I have to admit.

"_You shall go to the land monsters roam. _We already knew that one.

"_And discover the wrong-doer's home. _I'm not sure about this one, yet.

"_A friend will try to defend," _I hesitated. "I-I think you're going to protect me."

"From whom?" Rachel asked.

"Jack. I think he's trying to kill me. I mean, he always advises us to do something that almost always results in our near death. He may be trying to kill me."

We sat in silence as I waited for her to answer.

She didn't. "There's something I think I should tell you."

I looked at her, confused. "Like what?"

She swallowed. "Well, um, Jack and I… we've-we're kind of… going out."

"WHAT? YOU'RE DATING THE GUY WHO MAY TRY TO KILL ME?!" I screamed.

"That's what I mean! I don't think he's going to try to kill you!"

"OH YEAH? THEN WHO? WHO WOULD BE TRYING TO KILL ME?" I continued to yell at her.

She looked close to tears. "I don't know! I just don't think it's Jack! That's all I'm saying!"

I breathed deeply. Once. Twice. Three times. "It doesn't matter. Let's… keep looking."

Jack came in. "I don't see anywhere that's safe," he told us.

"Whatever. I'm not hungry. How about you guys?" I asked.

They shook their heads.

"Cool. Let's go."

…

Our day sucked. By noon, I was getting tired of being where monster roamed all the gods-damned time!

About ten minutes after we left the inn, we were attacked by a hellhound. Let me tell you, it was big. Not Mrs. O'Leary big, but still pretty big.

I grabbed my sword, but I knew it wouldn't be much help. I was terrible with it. Jack had a sword, too, but I didn't trust him near me with that thing. Rachel had her dagger, but she wasn't that great either.

So, like any other rational person, we ran. Lucky for me, I was still very fast. Like, I was as fast as that hellhound. I looked behind me, and realized my friends weren't as fast as me at all.

I saw something in the sky. At first, I thought it was a Fury. Then I realized it was swooping at the hellhound, not me.

My dad's voice spoke into my head. _It's a Keres. Spirits of plague. They're on our side._

The Keres swooped down onto the hellhound. Instead of colliding with it, though, it passed right through it. I slowed down. _What the? Nothing happened! _The hellhound was still running at me full-speed.

Then, the weirdest thing happened to it. It collapsed mid-stride, whimpering. I could tell it needed major healing. It practically radiated pain. It writhed for a moment, then exploded in a cloud of monster dust.

I just stared at the spot it had been.

_I know it is not fun to be unable to heal, especially being able to almost any other time. _My dad's voice rang in my head. _It was for the best._

I walked back to my friends. "Let's keep looking."

…

Half an hour later, guess who we get to meet? A giant scorpion, like the one Percy faced in the woods at camp before he and Annabeth found the entrance to the Labyrinth! Its stinger was so big and freaking cuddly! It was so fun to play with it!

I was _completely _devastated, though, when the Keres came back and killed it slowly and painfully. I felt so bad. (I hope you realize how sarcastic I am. I was so fu – freaking tired of monsters at that point. I mean, two in one hour?)

…

Did you know that three demigods that have stayed in San Francisco for three days begin to have a really strong smell?

I learned that when we met our third contestant on "Let's Slay Those Demigods!"

Contestant number three likes long walks on the beach, polishing her metal leg, combing her donkey leg, and feasting on male heroes' blood! Say hello to the _empousa_!

I learned about them, of course. They liked to kill heroes, so I wasn't surprised when it turned right to Jack in its true form – you know, the pale one with the weird mismatched legs?

At that point, I snapped. I didn't care if I thought Jack was going to kill me. I was _tired _of all those stupid monsters attacking us!

I felt a strong pull in my gut. The monster fell to the ground, breathing hard. I didn't think it was possible, but it was looking paler. And paler. It seemed to be getting thinner. It tried to push itself off the ground, but her arms buckled and collapsed.

The pull in my gut was still there, but I felt… stronger. As the empousa looked worse and worse, I felt better and better. The monster collapsed into dust, and the pull in my gut stopped.

I felt incredible.

I thought I could lift a mountain or defeat a titan.

_This is a reverse-healing technique I learned – one I had to use to heal myself. _My dad's voice spoke in my head. _You are my daughter – I want you to have this blessing._

I was dumbstruck.

My dad, who I'd only met once in a dream, had blessed me with the ability to take other people's health and use it as my own. It was amazing.

_Uh, thank-you, Dad! _I thought, hoping he would hear it.

I believed I could feel him smile.

_I believe you are trying to fulfill the line of the prophecy, "you shall discover the wrong-doer's home?" _He mind-asked me.

_Uh, yeah. _I replied.

_Walk down the road you are on. Make a left at the next possible turn, and you'll see an apartment building. Go to the third floor, room C. There you shall find the home._

_Thanks. Can I call you Pops? _I asked him sarcastically.

_You can call me anything you want, Nikki._

_Okay, pops._

…

We followed Pop's instructions exactly, and found the room. I hesitated before opening the door. What could be behind it? I guessed now would be the perfect time to find out.

I opened the door slowly and quietly. I peered inside, and was looking at a kitchen.

A kitchen.

Not some creepy, room-with-bodies-nailed-to-the-walls, wrong-doer's home, but a kitchen.

I had to admit, in a freakish kind of way, I was let down. I was expecting something with a bit more… bang.

The kitchen was average, if not a little cheap. It didn't have a dishwasher, but it did have a single sink, cabinets, stove, microwave, toaster-oven, and a fridge/freezer.

"Let's stay together and search-" I started, but was interrupted.

"I used to live here!" Jack exclaimed.

I looked at him funny. "You used to _live _here? You lived in San Francisco?"

"Yeah, for like, a couple years. Then I moved again. I can't believe it – it hasn't changed one bit!" he told us.

"I can't believe it either," I replied.

"Me neither," Rachel echoed.

I looked at her, hoping she was thinking the same thing as me: _you shall discover the wrong-doer's home._

I think she was.

"Okay, let's stay together and search the place," I said, restating what I had earlier, only actually finishing the sentence.

"Let me show you my old room!" Jack said, and bolted through a doorway, leaving us to run and catch up. It didn't take me that long.

His room looked vaguely familiar. It was even worse than the kitchen had been: it only had a bed, with a window across from it.

He looked crestfallen. "It's different. There used to be more. What happened?"

I sighed. This was touching, but the prophecy must have meant something more than _oh yeah, this is the bad person's house. Just wanted you to know._

Then again, that may have been what it wanted to tell us.

I sighed. "There's nothing else for us here. Let's go."

…

That day, nothing new had happened. On the bright side, monsters stopped trying to kill us! I guess Echidna sent them the message.

I laid down in the same inn we had been at yesterday. Before I fell asleep, I thought about my dad. How he had been so kind. How he had helped us on our quest. How he told me he was proud of me. How he blessed me, and told me he loved me. How I had told him I'd fight with him.

It made me almost regret I had lied to him the whole time.

**Okays! That's the end of this chapter (in case you didn't notice.) What's this? She won't fight with her father? Oh, ain't that a shame. Read and Review! :D**

**-Ninja**


	10. Chapter 10

**IMMEDIATE SPOILER ALERT-ISH: the prophecy is fulfilled this chapter ;) OK END SPOILERS. I really don't have anything else to say… just keep reading! ALSO MINOR SPOILER ALERT: This is the last chapter of the quest.**

We searched for two days, but really had no clue what we were looking for. Since we weren't attacked by monsters anymore, I decided to talk to Rachel and Jack about… them.

"Okay. This is getting us nowhere. Rachel, did you tell Jack that you told me?" I asked Rachel, becoming very blunt.

"Yeah. Why?" She replied.

"Because I'd really like to talk to you two."

Jack groaned. "Oh my gods, if you're going into some jealous-ex-girlfriend state I'll be pissed at you, and will probably run you through with my sword."

"Only because you'd heal!" Rachel finished for him, even though he was done talking.

I gave her a _suuuuure _look, and continued with the discussion.

"I'm not going into jealous-ex-girlfriend mode because I don't have a jealous-ex-girlfriend mode! I just was wondering what led to this sudden… attraction." Okay. I might have a jealous-ex-girlfriend mode. I and might've been in it, but only a little.

"Well, she died," Jack said flatly, "and after you healed her I realized how much she meant to me. So, I told her. And she kind of just… agreed."

I felt kind of hurt. "Why didn't you guys even tell me?"

Rachel jumped in. "We weren't sure it'd last. We had some serious rough patches, and we weren't even together that long. We didn't want to bring up something that was just going to turn out to be nothing. And, it wasn't really… sudden. We had… stirrings. Not completely feelings… but… stirrings." **(AN- if you know what movie that's from you get virtual pi!)**

"Stirrings. Oh, gods, you two are weird," I told them.

"Aw! Thanks!" Rachel said while Jack just glared.

"Oh, and Jack? Were you jealous of Nico because he made Rachel blush?" I asked not-very-innocently.

He turned red and started stammering. "No! I – uh – just, you know… was making faces. At the rainbow."

I looked at him, trying to keep a straight face. "Oh. My bad, I forgot. That is by far the best demigod pastime ever." I burst out laughing.

"Oh, shut up!" Jack yelled. Rachel just walked over to him and entwined her fingers with his.

"I think it's sweet that you're protective of me," Rachel said in a completely girly, little-kid-in-love way.

I gagged and pretended to die, falling to the ground. I "died" with my eyes open.

Jack laughed. "Great. She can survive being beheaded, but can't live through some romance."

My "corpse" nodded.

Rachel walked up to me and poked me. "Yep, she's dead, all right. Think she's in the fields of punishment yet?" she joked.

I sat up. "Excuse me? I saved your life. I should at _least _get Elysium! Wait, this is you. Crap! I'm going to the fields of punishment!"

We all laughed, happy to not have tension between us. It almost made me forget I thought Jack was going to kill me.

Rachel stood, and put on a serious face. "Nikki, we should test your powers. You can run fast, but how fast? And how well and how fast can you heal? Also, we need to work on your healing-_others _ability. I was dead for too long, if you ask me."

"My apologies. I'll try to perform miracles faster, next time."

"Good. Now, let's start with running."

…

I was _fast. _I mean, I thought I was fast earlier when I was running from the hellhound, but I wasn't even trying then. Now that I pushed my legs, and got my heart beating fast, I could keep up with a car. Believe me, we saw a car and I chased (and caught) it. I almost passed it, but I tripped. I guess the Charites (goddesses of grace) (I was looking more into Greek mythology, learning about the minor gods and goddesses) weren't on my side.

"Okay, Nikki! Stop! We get it, you're freaking fast!" Rachel yelled from far behind me. She and Jack had hoped they could actually keep up.

Instead of stopping, I turned around and ran towards them. I stopped just in front of them, but they didn't, so we all crashed into each other.

Rachel skinned her knee, and Jack bashed his head onto the sidewalk. I probably should've been hurt somewhere, but I knew I wouldn't be.

"This leads right into step two: healing _others," _Rachel said. "Fix my knee."

"And my headache!" Jack said. I considered it, and decided to do it to train.

I looked at Rachel's knee, and just thought _heal. _

At first, nothing happened. Her knee was still injured, and I wasn't doing a darn thing. I concentrated harder, and thought more strictly _I said, heal! _

Still, nothing.

I got a little short-tempered, then. _Ανάθεμα είπα να θεραπεύσει σας ηλίθιο γόνατο! Χάστε το τραυματισμό! Σταματήστε να αφήσει το αίμα ξεφύγουν από το δέρμα σας! Σφραγίστε τον εαυτό σας!_ _HEAL!_

Her scratch sealed almost immediately after I yelled at it to heal. I smiled proudly, then turned to Jack.

"You said you had a headache? Let me try!" I said excitedly.

I looked at Jack and thought harshly _Heal. _

Big surprise, nothing happened.

_Ugh, of course it won't work on _you. _Why should it? You're probably going to kill me later anyway. _

I breathed deeply. _Oh well. I need the practice. Now, headache, heal!_

Once again, zip.

_FINE! DON'T! I DON'T CARE! GODS DAMNIT, YEAH I DO! HEAL YOU SON OF A-_

**-yeah that's being censored because the Fates told me something terrible would happen if I said that word in this story, so sorry if it was an inconvenience to you people.-**

Jack looked at me for a second, then flinched. He began shifting uncomfortably, and he looked a little… sick. His breathing quickened, and he was definitely paler than before. He looked at me, and he looked like he was dying. His cheeks were sunken in, and his eyes looked lifeless. He opened his mouth like he was screaming, but no noise came out.

I finally noticed the terrible pulling in my stomach and how strong I felt.

_OHMYGODSSTOPSTOPSTOPSTOPSTOP STOPSTOP! HEALHEALHEALHEALHEALHEALHEAL HEALHEAL! STOP IT, IT'S KILLING HIM, YOU IDIOT! _I screamed at myself.

Instantly, he looked normal again. His cheeks were full of color, and _not _clinging to his jaw desperately. His face mirrored my expression of horror.

He gulped. "The- the headache's gone."

I smiled weakly. "That's good. Next time, I'll skip straight to that part."

"I'd appreciate that."

I learned something – don't try to heal someone if you're mad at them. It has a reverse affect.

…

We tested my abilities the rest of the day, constantly hurting ourselves so I could heal us. We had went up to our room in the inn so no one would wonder why there were kids with a knife cutting themselves. It was so tiring (the healing part), I finally begged Rachel and Jack to give me a break.

"I'm exhausted! Can we stop now?" I begged.

"Yeah. Wanna go eat somewhere? Hurting myself makes me hungry," Rachel said. Jack nodded.

"Completely," he agreed.

I rolled my eyes. "Well, we know there's nowhere to eat on this street, so I'll just run around and look for somewhere. I'll come back in a little bit."

They started to protest, but I just laughed and ran out the door. Bounding down the stairs, I burst into the cool afternoon air. I ran down the street, ignoring everything around me, and turned left at the next turn. I continued to run down that street, but didn't see anything. My stomach growled, and I turned right on the next turn. I ran down the street, and spotted a Golden Corral. Man, those things were good. My stomach rumbled in agreement. I turned back and ran to the inn.

I came into the room and saw Rachel and Jack kissing.

"EW! OH MY GODS, NO PDA!" I yelled at them.

Rachel jumped back from Jack. "It's not a Public Display of Affection because we're at a private place!" she countered.

"Okay, then no PPDA!" I told her.

"What's that stand for?"

"Public _or _Private Display of Affection!" I smiled. "I win.

"There's a Golden Corral a little ways up from here. Wanna go?" I asked them.

"Sounds great!" Jack said, and Rachel nodded enthusiastically.

"Follow me!"

…

When we finished our meal and we were walking back to the inn, the strangest thing happened.

We were attacked… sort of.

You know that you're in trouble when two gods come to you, especially if they're Olympians, and Zeus sent them.

Athena stared at me, not even looking at her daughter or Jack. Her grey eyes pierced mine, and I felt like hiding in a corner. It was obvious I was in trouble, considering the other Olympian was Ares.

I really don't care that he was in a leather jacket, or that he was, like, six feet tall at the moment. I cared that he didn't have his sunglasses on, and you could see the flames that were his eyes. I also didn't care he was standing next to a terribly big and threatening bike. I was terrified.

"L-lord Ares! Lady Athena! Um, hello! I – it's a pleasure to –" I just stuttered, having no clue what to say.

"Aw, ain't that cute. The little punk doesn't know what to say to a god," Ares said, smirking.

"She's doing better than Perseus, if your description of your encounter is accurate," Athena countered. She turned to me. "Nicole Goldleaf, is it true that you are a daughter of Asclepius?"

I gulped. I had no clue what to say. Lying would probably get my killed, but my dad was supposed to be dead! How can I be alive if my dad is dead?

_Tell the truth, it is alright. _My dad's voice came to me.

"Yes. Asclepius is my father," I told them truthfully.

Athena looked nervously at Ares. He didn't look too happy, either.

"I'm going to need you to come with us, Nikki. Zeus would like to speak to you about your father's… plan," Athena said slowly but firmly.

_Oh, damn. _I thought. _Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn, damn, damn. _**(sorry. She's a bit nervous if you can't tell.)**

I took a nervous step backwards. I don't know about you, but when two gods come to get you and are taking you to see Zeus because your dad has intentions on killing him, I am not very anxious to do that.

"Be smart, punk," Ares warned. "You can't outrun a god."

_Want to bet? _I thought to myself.

Athena looked at me like I was crazy. I remembered she could read minds.

"I don't know who put the idea in your head that you can outrun a god, but it's impossible. I'll try to make sure Father doesn't hurt you, Nikki. Just come with us," Athena told me calmly.

Now, I'd like to point out that I'm an idiot. A complete, total, non-stop moron.

The proof? I turned around and ran like Hades.

My heart pounded in my ears, and my breathing was crazy. I could tell I was running as fast as a car, but I wasn't sure exactly how fast I was.

I heard a motorcycle behind me – Ares.

It then dawned on me that I was running from two gods – no, three if you include that Zeus wants to talk to me. I stopped dead in my tracks.

Oh yeah. More proof I'm an idiot. Ares was riding right behind me, so of course when I stopped he ran over me.

_MOTHER OF THE F***ING TITANS! _I screamed in my head.

I don't think you completely understand my predicament. Ares did not simply hit me and shoot me forward twenty feet into the pavement. No, he RAN OVER ME! His bike left tire marks on my back! I am dead serious.

Well, for a couple seconds there, I was dead. But that's not the point.

ARES RAN OVER ME!

A quick synopsis of my injuries: my spine was crushed, my ribs had shattered and pierced my lungs and heart, and my skull was almost completely flattened.

Yeah, my dad did almost all of the healing. And by almost all, I mean everything I just said, and I took care of my non-fatal injuries.

"OH MY GODS NIKKI DON'T EVER DO THAT AGAIN YOU COULD BE DEAD – WHAT THE FATES YOU'RE NOT DEAD!" Rachel was screaming in my face.

"I'm also not deaf, Rachel!" I groaned. "That motorcycle is _heavy."_ I whimpered.

"PUNK!" Ares yelled, standing over Rachel. I pushed Rachel away from me. I noticed Jack was staring down too, so I shoved him away as well. I tried to sit up.

Ares's eyes were burning so brightly I thought I might go blind if I wasn't healing non-stop.

"Ares!" Athena yelled, walking up behind him. "Be quiet! You'll get over the fact it crashed after you _ran over her!_" She turned to me. "Now we really need to take you to Zeus. Immediately. We'll return you to your friends safely, seeing as how it seems rather difficult to kill you."

_Rather difficult to kill me. _I might have a chance at surviving Zeus!

Athena helped me to my feet, and they teleported me to Olympus in a flash of white light.

**-I thought about stopping here but I promised a fulfilled prophecy, so a fulfilled prophecy you shall get!-**

The whole council was in the throne room. Even Hades was there. I stood in front of Zeus's throne, my ADHD decided it would be the perfect time to make me refuse to stand still. I bounced from one foot to the other as the Olympians stared at me.

Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. "Why am I here, Lords and Ladies?" I whispered. I was already doubting I'd survive this meeting.

Zeus spoke. "Nicole, I believe you are aware of why you have been brought here. We believed your father dead, yet here you are. His child."

A completely ADHD thought came to my mind from when I watched the Princess Bride. A line from the movie: _My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die._

Do you need any more proof of how STUPID I am? MY DAD IS PLANNING TO KILL ZUES AND I JUST HAD THAT THOUGHT!

Just about every god tensed, except for one. Apollo.

He laughed.

He laughed!

"I loved that movie!" he said. He started laughing even harder when he saw the other gods' and goddesses' faces. "The Princess Bride! Come on, you've never seen that movie? You guys are missing out."

The gods relaxed when they learned it was a movie quote.

_Yeah, because I'm actually dumb enough to want to kill a god. Let alone the King of the Gods._

Athena said, "Good to know she's not a _complete _idiot."

Zeus silenced her with a look. "Nicole, I killed your father for a reason. He was out of line, raising a mortal from the dead for money. That was not his first offense, and he had already been given a warning. He was letting his powers overcome him. He had to be eliminated, for the sake of the gods.

"Now, he has come back from the dead to kill me and overthrow the Olympians. Did you know this?"

I stared at him. I decided to play idiot. It wasn't that hard.

"What?" I asked, looking completely blank.

"Listen, punk. We know you knew – you ran away from us when you told us you were a kid of that dead god."

Athena spoke. "How did you run so fast?"

I paled. "I – uh – err-" I stuttered. "I don't know," I lied.

Lightning crackled around Zeus, and I could tell he was pissed at me. "Do not lie! If you continue to waste my time, I swear, I shall kill you so you may never heal again!"

I stumbled backwards. It was official – I was going to die.

_So much for a traitor trying to kill me _I thought, not really realizing that the gods would hear me.

Athena heard. "Father! Did you hear that?" She looked directly at me. "What do you mean, a traitor was going to kill you?"

I gulped. "The – the prophecy… for my quest. The last two lines are '_a friend will try to defend when a traitor plots your end.' _I guess that since I'm going to die here, the prophecy was wrong."

"Prophecies are never wrong," Apollo said seriously. "Ever. And a traitor is – "

"- someone working for Asclepius," Hades continued, "and if someone working for Asclepius is trying to kill you, that means-"

"you're not working for him," Athena finished.

Okay, now I was doomed. The gods just busted me, and my dad probably just heard.

I decided to lie my ass off.

"Okay, you caught me," I said, while thinking _just do what they say, maybe you can still get out of here alive, _pretending that I knew they wouldn't hear me.

Artemis stood. "If you even think about escaping, then I will send my hunters after you."

I really had no clue what I was going to do. I was a terrible liar, and if I said I was working with my dad, I'd be killed on the spot. I was doomed.

All this time, I hadn't known Dionysus was there. "I think we should let her leave."

I gaped at him. Mr. D… defending me?

I guess the other gods were shocked, too.

"What?" Poseidon asked. Great. Percy's dad thinks I'm going to try to kill him. Just great.

"You heard me. I think we should let her leave, see how this whole thing plays out. If she really isn't a traitor, then someone will try to kill her. If she is, no one will, and so we'll just kill her. No problems."

Okay, so maybe he wasn't doing a great job defending me.

Slowly, Athena nodded. "I see your logic, Dionysus. I agree. Father, we should allow her to go."

Eventually, all the gods started nodding. Even Hera was thinking it was a good idea, and she hates heroes!

Zeus caved. "Very well. But know this, Nicole. If you truly are a traitor, you shall suffer in the fields of punishment for all eternity."

I blinked, and was teleported back to my friends.

**-I just had to say I'd have someone try to kill her, didn't I? Oh well, almost there…-**

"Nikki! You're alive!" Rachel yelled at me the second time today.

"Again, not deaf!"

Jack looked at me. "A couple minutes after you left, we were attacked by a monster."

I looked around, and realized they hadn't left the road we'd first seen Athena and Ares. The sky had darkened, and it looked like it would rain soon. I just noticed they looked hurt, like they had been in battle recently.

"Oh my gods! Are you guys okay?" I asked terrified. I concentrated, and they healed. They hadn't been too badly injured, just a small cut here and there.

"I think it was the exact same hellhound that had tried to kill us earlier! The one the bird killed?" Rachel told me.

"Keres. And are you sure?" I asked her after I'd corrected her.

"Positive," Jack replied for her.

I was scared. This was bad. The hellhound had came back before they should've – just like Kampê and Medusa. And I think I know how they had.

Thanatos had let them out of Tartarus.

"Nikki, can I talk to you. Alone?" she asked, looking at Jack.

I nodded.

When we had walked out of his vision, Rachel turned to me.

"I think you're right. I think Jack is trying to kill you." She took a step towards me, pure fear on her face. "What do we have to do? Are we going to have to kill him, or just run? I don't think I could kill him Nikki. I just couldn't!" She walked closer to me, tears in her eyes.

I closed the distance and put my arms around her in a hug. "I don't know. We'll just run. I don't think I could kill anyone, especially –"

A sharp pain seared into my side. I lost my grip on Rachel, and started falling backwards. Before I collapsed, Rachel pulled the knife out of my side, a cruel smile on her face. She pushed me to the ground.

"You are stupid. Do you really think you could lie to Asclepius and get away with it?" she asked, sneering.

I stared at her. I tried to say something, but only started coughing.

"Shh… don't waste your strength, Nikki, you may need it!" she laughed evilly, kicking my side she hadn't stabbed. I almost screamed, but I couldn't force any noise out of my mouth that wasn't a terrible hacking.

She gave her evil laugh again, and continued to kick me. I swear to the gods, I don't know why it was taking me so long to just die.

Every time she brought her foot into my side, I thought about how I had always believed Jack would be the one to kill me. I had always just pictured it to be him running me through with his sword.

Rachel sighed. "Oh, Nikki. You should've joined your dad when you had the chance!"

She was about to kick me again, but I managed to say one word: "Why?" It was weak and airy, and I barely heard it, but she did.

"I guess I do owe you an explanation.

"You see, when I died while Percy and Annabeth were trying to take me to Camp Half-blood, your dad talked to me. He told me how the gods didn't care about us; they just want to use us! We were like animals: cute and fun to have around, but if we got hurt doing what they told us, it didn't matter. They'd just get a new one!

"He told me to join him and we would change that. He told me that together, we could make heroes just that – heroes. We'd be honored, and never have to worry about being replaced. Every hero that proved their worth would be made immortal – an eternity of glory!

"The night after he appeared to you in your dream, he came to me in my own. He told me the crap he told you: Zeus is going to murder the minor gods, we have to stop him, not about revenge, blah, blah, blah. He also told me that he wasn't sure he trusted you yet. He said that he'd send a monster we had killed after us – the hellhound. If that happened, and the monster didn't kill you, I was to.

"And so here we are: you, the indestructible, dying by your 'best friend's' hand! Oh, irony is sweet, almost as sweet as not having to pretend I care about you!"

She lifted her dagger still red with my blood, but something stopped her.

"Rachel? How could you! I thought you were our friend! I – I thought you cared about me!"

Jack.

Rachel froze, a hurt look on her face. "Jack, please, I do!" she said sincerely. "Try to understand – the gods don't care about us! They-"

"Yeah, yeah. I heard what you were telling Nikki. The truth is that you don't give a damn about us – you don't give a damn about camp – you don't give a damn about me!" He yelled, drawing his sword.

"Jack, I do! I'm doing this for camp_, _for _you, _so that demigods can be safe from gods that just want to use them!"

"Oh yeah? What's Asclepius doing to you? Rachel, you're killing your best friend! You literally stabbed her! Then you beat her, and for what? For _camp_? For _me_? You're murdering! Why can't you see that?"

She faced him head-on, completely ignoring me now. "Jack, come with me!" she proposed hopefully.

"What?"

"Come with me! Join Asclepius! We can just defeat camp, send a plague, we won't have to kill any of them! Jack, please! Please come with me! I really like you! I – I think I may love you.

"Please, PLEASE don't make me choose between you and the army."

Jack stopped and just looked at me.

I was probably a sore sight – I had lost a lot of blood, not to mention that when I tried to talk I mostly just coughed up some more. I could feel its warmth on my chin and on the ground around me – at least I wouldn't die in the cold.

He made his decision. "If I come with you, will you leave Nikki as she is? I'm guessing she can't heal herself." He said this like a statement, knowing he was right.

He was.

She paused, not sure. She turned to look at me, and knew my death was coming swiftly and inevitably. "Deal."

He sheathed his sword, and she put away her dagger. Her hand covered in my blood, she held his clean one.

Hand in hand, they walked down the street, away from me. Away from their dying friend.

What must've been minutes, but felt like years later, they were out of sight, my dimming vision seemingly doubled by the steady rainfall and crackling thunder overhead.

I concentrated, willing my stupid gut to pull – to make the terrible pain in my side go away. To make breathing stop hurting, because I still wanted to be able to breath.

A bright white light flashed around me, and I was no longer on the street surrounded in my blood, but in a field. It was bright, and I could smell sweet fruits growing. The sun shown in the clear sky, and I looked up to see a green hill with a pine tree on top.

I let my eyes drift close.

**BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM! That was a big boom of my feeling of accomplishment. Halfway there, guys! The quest may be over, but the war has hardly started!**

**-Ninja**


	11. Chapter 11

**I really have no intro for this chapter… at all.**

I blinked my eyes. They felt heavy, and I really just wanted to let them drift closed again, and go back to my dream world where everything was perfect.

Then I remembered everything that had happened, and my eyelids instantly refused to close.

I looked around me, and realized where I was: the infirmary. In the Big House. At Camp Half-blood.

_What? I was in the street, dying of my wound that that προδοτικό σκύλα had given me - wait… my side doesn't hurt!_

I turned to look at my side – good as new! No stitches, no scars, no bruises elsewhere! I was alive!

"You're awake!" A voice yelled at me from the doorway. I turned my head sharply, and there was Nico.

He looked normal: normal dark clothes, normal jacket, normal hair, and normal face. It felt wrong, knowing everyone was still normal, even though my best friends had changed forever.

"Nah, I'm just sleep-talking," I said. My voice sounded weak, and I wasn't expecting it. I cleared my throat, but it didn't make a difference.

He looked at me seriously. "What happened? Hermes teleported you to camp, dying from a knife wound, without Rachel and Jack, and you wake up and joke?"

I stared at him. He was right, I really wasn't in a joking mood. "Where's Chiron? I should probably tell him, too."

"I'll go get him."

He left, and I sighed heavily. How to tell them? I should probably tell them what I had found out about myself too and what I had learned, and how I had been blessed by a couple minor gods.

Chiron came in in his wheelchair, with Percy, Annabeth, Nico, Travis, Connor, and Will right behind him.

"Tell us what happened. From the start," Chiron commanded instantly.

I gulped. Where even was the start?

"In Greek mythology, my dad was killed by Zeus for raising a dead man for money." That was a good start.

"Now, over the years, he's gathered strength and is alive. He had me thirteen years ago… and my life story isn't important."

"When we started on the quest, we went to San Francisco, and faced a couple monsters that were supposed to be dead: Kampê and Medusa. And I finally get how they were alive."

I told them all that had happened on my quest, except what Medusa had said about me being cursed and my opposite-healing ability. When I told them about my _second _death, and my gorgeous I've-been-run-over-by-a-motorcycle-of-a-god injuries, they were astounded, to say the least. When I told them about Rachel and Jack, well… here's what they said:

Chiron just stared at me like I must've been lying – that Jack and Rachel would never do that.

"Αυτό έκανε ό, τι σκύλα; μου λες ότι είναι ήδη συνεργάζεται με τον Ασκληπιό όλο αυτό το χρονικό διάστημα;" Annabeth screamed, which kind of surprised me because she never uses that kind of language.

"Πήγε μαζί της; πώς θα μπορούσε να είναι; Νόμιζα ότι ήταν φίλος μας! Είναι όλοι ψέματα, εξαπάτηση απάτες!" At least Percy didn't curse.

Nico wasn't as good to watch that. "Η σκύλα και το κάθαρμα έκανε αυτό; Θα κυνηγήσουν αυτό το κάθαρμα κάτω και να τον στείλει στον Κάτω Κόσμο, καθώς και για το σκαπάνη Πάω να της δώσει ένα δωρεάν ταξίδι στα Τάρταρα!"

**-I'd appreciate it if you didn't try to translate that…-**

Finally Chiron said something. "Get up. Nico, help her. When you two are done, go tell Aphrodite's cabin to start training. Percy, tell the counselors we are having a meeting _now_. Annabeth, Iris-message Tyson and tell him we may need help making some armor."

He looked up to the sky, as if hoping that the gods would protect us. "We are going to war."

**-I would've ended it on that dramatic note had it not been for the fact I have less than one thousand words.-**

I looked at everyone in the war room. No one was playing tricks on each other. I couldn't really help it, but I kept glancing at all the minor gods' kids: Butch, Clovis (who, OH MY GODS, was awake), and Lou Ellen, and some others I didn't know. I didn't mean to, but I was suspicious.

I stood up and cleared my throat. I told them my story. The same thing I'd told Chiron and the others in the infirmary, but with one minor detail: I told them how Medusa predicted I'd have double the curses as I had the blessings.

Every girl gasped, and the guys just gaped.

"How many blessings do you have?" Nico asked quietly.

"Two," I said. That didn't sound so bad, right? Right?

Chiron paled. "Four curses… probably bigger depending on how big the blessing is… what are your blessings?"

My breath was fast. Running was nothing. But the second one, I wasn't so sure. "I can run fast. Like, _fast _fast. I could've outrun Ares's motorcycle." Clarisse looked pissed about that, but I ignored her. "The other one…" I tried to breath, but my throat was swollen shut. I coughed past it, and continued, "I can drain other people of their health and give it to myself." It was a good blessing.

Chiron closed his eyes. "No," he whispered, "no, no, no, no, no, no, no!"

Okay. It was a major blessing. Which meant I was going to have two major curses. Not to mention to minor ones. I knew I had to face the facts: by the time this war has ended, I may not be alive.

**-again, would've ended hear but it's just too short! Gods!-**

I wanted the meeting to end right then. I didn't want people staring at me anymore. I didn't want them to be thinking what I was thinking: I was probably going to die, or live all my life in suffering. I didn't want to think that someone in this room could be helping the minor gods' rebel. I didn't want anyone to try to kill me.

I didn't want to be a demigod.

What I _did _want was to go home. I wanted to be snuggled up in my bed, worrying about math or science or some other class. I wanted to be giggling over guys with… _her _before she became what she is now. I didn't want to ever have to worry about these stupid problems again.

I realized I was beginning to cry thinking about it all. I wiped away my tears and made a move to sit down, but Chiron told me to stop.

"No. We need you to tell us exactly what Rachel told you and your encounter with your dad in the dream. And, of course, your monster encounters."

"I already told you!" I yelled at him, teenage hormones kicking in. "I told you once that she stabbed me, then told me how the minor gods decided to have a little spy to go on a quest with me, then if I didn't work with them _kill me! _I've already told you that those καθάρματα turned my two best friends against me!

"I told you my dad was all nice and said he loved me and was proud _just _so I would work with him to probably try to kill everyone in this camp!

"I told you that Kampê had cut off my head but I lived! I already told you that Medusa tried to turn me to a statue, telling me all about my curses-to-be! I already told you that I sucked the life out of an _empousa! _And I already told you that the reason Kampê and Medusa were alive was because Thanatos let them out of Tartarus to attack me!" I screamed at him, unable to stop crying.

"_What else do you want me to say?" _ I yelled. "What else would even _help?"_

I felt a pair of arms hug me from behind, warm and strong.

"It's okay, Nikki," Nico held me and I cried, even though I was facing away from him. "Everything's going to be fine," he told me. I knew he was lying. "It's going to be okay." He falsely assured.

I didn't care – I just leaned back into him and cried. I turned around so my face was buried in his chest because I didn't want everyone to see me like that.

"Why would they do that?" I mumbled into his shirt. "Why?"

"I don't know," he replied. "I don't know."

I don't think even they did.

**-**_**Meanwhile-**_

**Rachel's Point of View (I know, I know. A pov change? Amazing! I'm a daredevil, I know.)**

I felt like crap, which made no sense.

I mean, I did what I had been told to do. Nikki wasn't going to join us – that much was obvious. She was going to go against us, and we couldn't let that happen. I did what I had to do – I killed her. So why did I feel like this?

It made even less sense since Jack was next to me. I mean, come on! When the guy you love's standing next to you, turning to the dark side just to be with you, you tend to feel a little happy.

But the feeling I had wasn't joy. It was… holy crap.

I felt sorry.

What the Hades? I. Felt. Sorry.

I actually _regretted _stabbing her! What the Hades was wrong with me? You can't feel bad when you're trying to do what we were planning on doing.

If I felt sorry now, I was gonna feel so much worse when we try to kidnap the whole camp.

**So… yeah. That's probably going to be the only time that you change pov's. Don't stop reading!**

**-Ninja**


	12. Chapter 12

**Okay so quick recap: the end of last chapter was "Betrayal Rachel" (she has a nickname now) p.o.v. and their side is going to try to kidnap the whole camp. Read and Review!**

**Once again Nikki's point of view**

The whole camp was working overtime. Apollo's cabin and I had teamed up for medical supplies, even though my cabin had been emptied of everything but clothes and the bed and the bathroom. The Ares cabin was having the time of their lives training the Aphrodite cabin, but it was Clarisse's job to maim practically every single one of them. I was standing next to the arena, discussing how much medicine we had with Will, so that whenever someone got even slightly scratched I had to come running to heal them. Clarisse said it was to "train me for when they're more hurt." Yeah, right. She wanted an excuse to hurt them. Percy was helping the Ares cabin train, so less Aphrodite kids were hurt, but it was still frequent.

Athena's cabin, except Annabeth, was talking about the best battle strategies with Chiron. Where was their first target? Were they waiting for more demigods and monsters, or just attacking? Who was already on their side?

Hephaestus's cabin was making weapons for everyone who didn't have them. Tyson, Percy's Cyclops half-brother, helped them by providing celestial bronze and pulling the burning-hot metal out of the flames.

Hermes's cabin was helping in whatever way possible, where ever needed.

The minor gods' kids were sitting in their cabins, not allowed to participate until they knew we could trust them all.

Annabeth was working with me as I talked to Will and kept healing the Aphrodite cabin, trying to decide what my curses were, and if I had any yet.

"Have you had any dreams lately?" Annabeth asked. "They could help us lead to what your curses may be."

I paused. I hadn't thought about it, but I hadn't had any helpful dreams since I came back to camp. "No."

She stared at me. "None? It's a war, and your dad's leading the assault, and you've had no dreams?"

It seemed little fishy. I thought hard, but the only dreams I had had were about Nico. Some were _great_ dreams about Nico, but others, not so much.

I must've gone red in the cheeks, because Annabeth said, "I don't want to hear about your boy dreams, but dreams that may actually help."

I considered if the bad dreams of Nico should be good to tell her, and I decided I would, but just not say his name.

"Well, you see, the… guy I was dreaming about? I have good and bad dreams about him.

"In the good ones, we're just a happy couple, you know? But in the bad ones… well… I see him dying all sorts of deaths."

I swallowed down the lump in my throat. "Sometimes, he just collapses on the ground, and later I find out he had a cardiac arrest and died on the spot. Other times, he's fighting a monster, and it kills him."

I stared at Annabeth's eyes, hoping with all my heart all, especially the most frequent, wasn't true. "The one I see the most, though, is my dad killing him."

Annabeth just stared at me, and Will had been listening too, so he did the same as Annabeth.

"I don't care if this is private, who is the dream about?" Annabeth asked, not blinking.

I don't want to answer, but I find myself answering anyway. "Nico."

She doesn't laugh at me. She just keeps looking at me solemnly. Probably hoping I was wrong. Me too, buddy.

"We need to tell him that you have dreams of him dying."

"But-"

"OW! Nikki, Clarisse scratched me!" Drew screamed.

"Gods, GET OVER IT!" I screamed, but came over to heal her anyway.

Annabeth was whispering to Will, and he was nodding slowly. When I got close enough to hear them I heard him say, "I think you're right."

Annabeth stared at me. "We think we know what your first curse is, but we're not sure if it's major or minor. We're thinking major – we know they have Morpheus and Hypnos on their side, so either one of them could've cursed you and made it powerful enough to be called a major curse."

"Well, what is it?" I asked impatiently.

"We think they only let you see dreams that would scare you, but none that would really help us. Nico dying in more than one way doesn't really help us know what's going to happen to him, or if he's really going to die by your father's hands," she told me.

I wasn't sure if I was happy or sad about that. I was debating when the conch horn for dinner blew.

"I'm not hungry, I'm going to bed," I announced. I was exhausted from healing all day.

I went into my practically empty cabin, sighing sadly when I laid down in the somehow-less-comfy bed, and fell asleep as soon as I hit the pillow.

…

"I say that curse was too good for you," a voice said from behind me.

I looked around, and realized I wasn't in my cabin. Oh great, a dream.

"What the Hades do you want, Dad?" I asked harshly.

"What? Can't a dad visit his only daughter from time to time?" he asked sweetly, smiling. He was in his young form, buff and slightly pale and dark hair and weird eyes and coat, but no rod of Asclepius.

"Not when the dad and daughter are on opposite sides of a war. Oh, not to mention the dad's starting said war."

He sighed sadly. "I was hoping to convince you to come to the _right _side-"

"Then I don't need to change," I interrupted.

"-but it seems you've made up your mind," he continued as if he hadn't heard me. "Your minor curses are yet to come, but it's your final major curse that you should fear, daughter. But, I won't bother you with the worries of that."

He turned his back on me, and I realized he had a snake tattoo on his back. Not a small, pathetic snake, but a black and red snake. It was a side view of it, with an open mouth, showing one fang, as well as a curling tongue. Its body started at his right shoulder, but slowly twisted more to the right as it went down his back. It curled itself back up as it reached out of sight, bringing its tail back into view. The red was around the sides of the snake length-wise, but it got darker as it reached the middle of the tattoo. It looked ready to strike at any second.

"I'm sure you don't want to stay in this room," he said, even though I didn't care. It was medium size, white floors and walls, and no furniture, "so I'll just take you the only predicting dream you'll ever have again."

The white walls seemed to dissolve, along with everything else in the room, leaving me in complete darkness. I heard a cry of pain, but I didn't know where it was coming from.

It came again, sounding closer. I whirled around, and there in the distance, was Nico.

He was chained by celestial bronze that seems connected to nothing, but still held fast no matter how he tried to move.

A crackling came to my left, and I tasted metal in the air. I turned, and my dad was there, holding Zeus's master bolt, aiming it at Nico.

His face was twisted into a demented and evil smile. A cruel sound escaped his lips – something along the lines of a laugh and a cry of joy – and he threw the bolt at Nico.

It hit home, reducing Nico into a pile of nothing, even the chains being destroyed.

"It's your fault. You didn't help us. You chose the wrong side, and now everyone you care about will pay the price," my father's cruel voice practically sang with glee.

I woke up with a cry, and even after I had shut up I still heard noises.

I stood up and walked over to my glass doors.

The whole camp was under attack.


	13. Chapter 13

**Ah, the lack of introductions to stories.**

The Ares cabin was completely consumed in Greek fire. Its inmates were all outside fighting, so I didn't run there.

Two monsters were trying to drag Butch away, but he pulled out his sword and killed them both, so I didn't run there.

Nico and Annabeth were fighting off any and every monster that came at them. They were completely surrounded, but Will came and started shooting at some of the monsters, so I didn't run there.

Percy was fighting off the monsters that were trying to come by sea, and he was doing great at killing anything that got too close. So I didn't run there.

There was a sword in front of me from a fallen monster, and I picked it up.

In the center of the battle, someone was hitting everyone who came at them. They moved their sword – no, dagger – faster than light, and campers were falling all around them.

Rachel.

Guess where I ran.

"λες ψέματα, δολοπλοκίες, κάθαρμα! πώς τολμάς να επιτεθούν εδώ! I swear on the River Styx, you are going to die!" I screamed at her.

I could hardly hear the booming thunder over my own heart racing in my ears. That bitch had ruined my life.

There was a strong pull in my stomach, and all the fallen campers around her stirred. I concentrated harder on them, and they stood.

"I got her. Leave," I told them. I was going to kill her myself.

I thought about using the sword in my hand, but I was no good with it. I guess I'd just use my father's blessing to kill her. Kill the traitor with a traitor's blessing. It sounded so ironic – I loved it.

I ran to her quickly thanks to my other blessing. When I stopped, I was inches from her face. I forced a pull in my gut, and she paled instantly.

"Death doesn't feel so good, does it?" I asked her cruelly.

She collapsed on the ground. She looked up at me with her sunken eyes and smirked.

_She. Smirked._

I lifted my sword, but it flew from my hands.

"What the Hades?!" I screamed.

My concentration broke, and she swung the dagger at my feat. I jumped to avoid it easily. I looked for what had taken the sword, and was pissed to see Hecate smirking at me.

They have the goddess of magic on their side. Great.

Rachel tried to get up, even though she was still pallid. I kicked her in the stomach, completely ignoring Hecate. I was about to kick her again, but someone stopped me.

"Nikki, don't!"

Jack.

"GODS! I don't have to listen to you, traitor! You left me for dead! I hate you!" I shrieked.

"You don't understand! We're the _good _guys!" He yelled over the noises of battle.

"Look around, Jack! Who attacked who? You need to rethink who's the good person here!"

Rachel stood and tried to stab me, but I just punched her in the face. "Down, bitch."

"Nikki, please! Everyone _hates _the minor gods! Everyone! We'd be doomed without minor gods, but do the Olympians give a damn? No!"

"I! Don't! Care!" I cried.

I turned to face him completely. "Call off the army, Ja-"

I was tackled from behind by Rachel.

_What the Hades? I just knocked her out! How could anyone heal-_

_Asclepius!_

I kicked Rachel off me and turned around while standing up to come face-to-face with my father in his young form.

"Hello, daughter. Are you enjoying the party? I'm having a blast."

He swung the Rod of Asclepius **(AN from here on out I'm just calling it the rod.) **at me, and it sent me flying through the air and away from the battle.

Rachel was the one who came after me.

She laughed cruelly, like how she had during her first attempt on my life. "You really thought you could actually beat your dad? I thought you were smarter than that! You can't kill a god, idiot."

"Zeus did it. Maybe I should try to give him a call – he may be interested in throwing around some lightning bolts."

"You never were good at threats, Nikki."

"Doesn't matter if the threat itself sounds good. It's when it's fulfilled that makes it all the more threatening."

She glared. "You really still don't get it, do you? You've already receive _two _curses. Bet you didn't know about the second, did you?

"The first you _must _have figured out. You can't have dreams that are predictive like other demigods. You have mortal dreams.

"The second one you just experienced. Hecate cursed you – you can't use a sword too well. As in, it tries to run from you when you use it."

I just looked at her, like I didn't care. "So, no nightmares and no weapons I can't use as it is? Wow. That's some great curses you have there." I was bluffing, of course. The dreams one must be a major curse – no dreams? That's pretty bad. The second would be a major if it were cast by a more weapons-related god or goddess. So, a major and a minor. What about my other two?

Rachel laughed ruthlessly. "I would kill you, but your dad wants you to suffer the rest of your life with your curses, so, I can't." She sighed as if that was going to be the highlight of her trip. "Guess this is goodbye, then. For the time being."

She turned on her heal and walked away lightly – more graceful than before.

_Holy Hades. The whole time was an act. Every minute of our quest was a fake, even being a klutz._

I tried to use a reverse-healing on her, but I was too late. I felt my strength failing, and I knew my dad was using the technique on me.

It did not feel good.

I felt as if every ounce of my strength of being sucked away, fighting to stay with me, but unable to resist the pull of his power. Try as it might, it was pulled away from me, being used to aid my enemy. I felt the world tilting, and it stopped when my body was flat against the earth. Black swarmed around the edges of my vision, and slowly closed in on all I could see. I let myself fall into the darkness.

…

"She's the only one who could actually heal the campers! So how the Hades do we wake her up?" a voice said above me for probably the thousandth time while I as at camp.

"I don't know! I could splash some water on her face."

"Didn't realize you wanted to drown me before I could help anyone, Percy," I muttered loudly.

"Gods, quit doing that!"

"What, waking up?" I asked Nico.

"No, waking up after almost dying and then making sarcastic remarks!" he scolded.

"Whatever."

I opened my eyes, and I was still where I had fallen the night before. At least, I thought it had been the night before.

"How long has it been since the battle?" I asked.

"Just one night. We need you to heal some campers. Like, now. No time to rest," Percy told me.

"Come on, she needs some time to heal like everybody else!" Nico defended.

"She's had a night. She heals fast. She'll be fine."

"He's right, Nico. I'm fine. Will you guys help me up?" I asked them.

Percy offered a hand, but Nico leaned down and put her arm around my shoulders firmly and helped me stand.

"Thanks."

We all walked to the Big House, where the infirmary was crowded with injured people.

"Percy, will you get me some food? I'm going to be starving," I told him.

"Yeah."

I walked up to the first person on the bed – I think it was someone from the Apollo cabin.

I stared at him, and felt a pull in my gut. His minor injuries healed instantly, and I walked around from camper to camper, doing the same thing. Nico followed me the whole time, making sure I didn't fall or anything, I guessed.

"I know that this probably isn't a good time to ask," he said slowly. "But, I really want to ask you because we lost some good people last night. And I don't know how much time I have, so I just want to –"

"Gods, Nico, just tell me what it is," I said a little testily, but still tried to be patient.

"Right, sorry. I was just, um, wondering if you'd go out with me."

I stopped helping the wounded camper in front of me and looked at him. "Oh" was all I managed to say. "Let me finish healing these people, then I'll eat, then we'll talk about it, okay?" I asked hopefully.

"Okay, that sounds good."

I finished healing all the campers in the infirmary. I tried to help some of the people who had died, but I couldn't save them no matter how hard I tried.

The worst part was I couldn't even tell who some of them were, they were so badly killed by monsters, or swords to the face. It made me feel sick that I couldn't at least let their body rest without being scarred.

Percy came back with my food, but I had lost my appetite.

Nico walked down to the beach with me. Before I even talked about him asking me out, I asked him a question that had been nagging at me since I had finished healing everyone I could.

"Why weren't there any minor demigods with the wounded?" I asked.

He just looked away and changed the subject. "So, will you or will you not go out with me?"

As much as I wanted to say yes right away, I had to stand my ground. "On one condition. Tell me why there weren't any minor demigods among the wounded."

"If I tell you, you'll go out with me."

"Yes."

"Swear on the River Styx."

I did, and thunder rumbled overhead. Wow. I swore on the River Styx twice in twenty-four hours.

"There aren't any minor demigods in the infirmary because there aren't any minor demigods at camp. Asclepius took them – all of them. Everyone who hadn't had a cabin before Percy made the gods swear they'd do it. Everyone, but you and me."

I stared at him.

"They kidnapped half the camp."

**Yes, yes they did. Man, they are just evil! Oh wait, I'm the one making them evil. Whoops. Review please! :D**


	14. Chapter 14

**This is just a chapter that tells what happened during the battle. It switches POVs a lot, so try not to get confused. Don't worry, I'll tell you whose POV it is.**

**Nikki's POV**

"There's no way they could actually kidnap half the camp!" I denied. "That's impossible!"

Nico just shook his head. "It's possible, and it's what happened. I'm sorry."

I stared at him. "What happened to you during the fight?"

"Well…"

**Nico's POV**

**Flashback**

I woke up to the feeling that there was death all around me, or was closing in fast.

I jumped out of my bed, grabbed my sword, and ran outside to see the battle beginning. Annabeth was alone in the middle of a swarm of monsters, Percy nowhere in sight. I didn't stop to look for him, but ran straight for Annabeth.

I slashed my way through monsters till I reached Annabeth's side. Together we fought off monster after monster, but they just kept coming.

"How are there so many?" Annabeth asked loudly, trying to be heard over the roars of the various monsters.

"I have no clue! I don't even recognize some of these guys!" I yelled back.

I heard a war cry come from the general direction of the Ares cabin, and they all came swarming out with Clarisse leading them. Moments later, I heard a _swoosh _and a _BOOM! _ I was completely caught off guard by the Ares cabin that had just been vacated engulfed in Greek fire.

"How the Hades did they get Greek fire?" I cried, still fighting off the monsters.

"They must've broken into Hephaestus's cabin!"

"Σκατά!"

She replied, but I didn't hear her. The monsters were really closing in on us now, and I thought we were doomed for sure.

Out of seemingly nowhere, Will started raining arrows down on the monsters surrounding us, shooting with deadly accuracy.

"Thanks, Will," I told him loudly.

"No problem. I can't stay. People need help all over the place! Thank gods, Nikki's awake! She'll be able to heal some fallen campers! Wait, is she really going over _there? _Whoever has the sword is good. She could get killed! We need her to heal!"

I saw Nikki running towards the heat of the battle, where the most demigods were falling.

"Nikki!" I yelled. "Nikki, don't!"

She either didn't hear me or simply ignored me, because she kept going. She looked really upset. No, more than upset. She looked murderous.

She disappeared in the small sea of demigods trying to kill the swordsman.

Wait, not a sword. A _dagger. _

"It's Rachel! Nikki's going to kill her!" I called to anyone who could hear me.

"Good!" Annabeth and Will shouted at the same time.

I continued to fight off the monsters, but I completely stopped when I saw Nikki fly away from where she was and away from the battle. Rachel, bloody dagger in hand, followed after her.

"Nikki!" I called, hoping she would respond. She didn't.

I was about to run after her, but monsters stood in my path. I continued to try to fight them, but it was a battle I was rapidly losing.

Then, suddenly, they all started spreading out. Some of them just looked into the distance, while others… no. They were _all _looking into the distance. And it wasn't the distance; it was… the minor gods' cabins.

I realized their reason for attacking too late. "They're going to recruit the children of the minor gods!" I warned, but no one heard.

Monsters were dragging away all the minor gods' children they could – even Butch, who struggled but couldn't get free.

"No!" I cried, and started running towards them. I felt an empty feeling, then darkness.

**End flashback**

"I woke up, and they were gone," I finished.

Nikki glared. "It must've been Asclepius. He used his reverse-healing on you, and knocked you out. He could've killed you. I'm going to kill him. I don't care if he's a god, I'm going to send him into Tartarus!"

"Nikki, calm down. We're going to take him down and save the others, I promise. But first we need to help as much as we can here."

I stood up. "I'm going to see what happened to Will after he saved us."

Nikki sighed. "I think I'm just going to stay here for a little. I need to think about… stuff."

I nodded.

I walked away from the beach and found Will at the shooting range. I guess he used this place to calm down.

"Will, what happened? I mean, before and after you save me?" I asked him.

"Well…"

**Will's pov**

**Flashback**

I hadn't been able to sleep, so I was shooting arrows. I got a little fancy, shooting without looking and easy stuff like that.

I was about to try something more complex when I saw something – a vague silhouette of a human – walk to the borders of camp. They stood there for a couple seconds and then walked away to the cabins.

Ignoring what had just happened, I turned back to my targets. A minute passed, and I turned to look at the camp's borders.

Monsters of all kinds flooded through the magical borders. All were armed, and all looked ready to kill. I grabbed more arrows and loaded my bow. I fired all that I could, never missing. Still, the monsters didn't seem to stop coming. For every monster I downed, another took its place.

I had to warn the others.

Running to the cabins, I tried to warn the others. An arrow whizzed by my ear, and I turned and returned fire.

I walked backwards to my destination, shooting arrows the whole time. I had to be careful, or I'd run out.

The monsters swarmed caught up with me, and I had to stop firing and run to the cabins. They followed me, and reached the cabins at the same time. They ran towards every cabin, waking everyone and fighting. I didn't know where to go to – help was needed everywhere.

I heard screams and realized the Aphrodite cabin still fought like crap.

"I'm coming!" I yelled to them, and jumped in front. "Get your swords!" I told them.

I fired arrows at the oncoming monsters, but it hardly seemed to dent their forces, whereas our campers seemed to be falling left and right. Where was Nikki? She could be healing them! What was wrong with her?

One of the girls stepped up – Drew. "I got this."

With Drew in charge, the rest of her cabin started fighting. They were doing pretty good, so I left in search for others in need of help.

I was about to find Nikki – I didn't see her anywhere. I was about to check her cabin when I saw something that shocked me more than I thought possible.

Hecate was walking over to her own cabin. Followed by her were Iris, Thanatos, and – σκατά – Nike. The Goddess of victory, on their side and working with them. I did the rational thing – I turned around and ran from the goddess who can't really lose.

I ran to the battle that seemed easier – the one that was filled with monsters.

Nico and Annabeth surrounded by as many monsters as the Aphrodite cabin had been.

I ran right into the battle, and started killing them all.

"Thanks, Will," Nico shouted over the noise of battle.

"No problem. I can't stay. People need help all over the place! Thank gods, Nikki's awake! She'll be able to heal some fallen campers! Wait, is she really going over there? Whoever has the sword is good. She could get killed! We need her to heal!" I cried. It sounded heartless, but we needed as many campers as possible.

Nico's eyes seemed to follow her. I was about to yell at him to focus when he cried, "It's Rachel! Nikki's going to kill her!"

"Good!" Annabeth and I replied at the same time.

He fought off the monsters, but randomly stopped. He just stood still, staring at some point in the distance.

Where he was looking changed, and I followed his gaze.

The monsters were all running there, and I seemed to realize their target at the same time Nico did. Nico seemed to yell something, but I didn't hear.

"No!" he cried, but collapsed.

I felt like I was had been drained of all energy, and I fell next to him.

**End flashback**

"Nikki told me that feeling before you woke up was her reverse-healing thing," Nico explained. "I think it happened to all the campers."

I nodded deafly. I didn't feel like shooting anymore.

"I think I'm going to see how Percy's doing. I don't know how he was doing. I didn't see him," I told Nico. "You want to come?"

He thought for a moment. "Yeah. I was wondering about him, too."

We both walked over to the dining pavilion where he was eating a small meal.

"Hey," Nico started, "We were wondering what happened to you. We hadn't seen you the whole time."

Percy looked at both of us with bags under his eyes.

"Yeah, well…"

**Percy's pov**

**Flashback**

I was up late again. I tossed and turned in my bed, but I kept having nightmares of a guy running from a pine tree to a snake. He'd whisper something to the snake, and the snake would say something back. He would nod, and walk away. When nothing was looking, the guy ran to the pine tree and said something to it. Its leaves rustled in the non-existent wind.

It didn't seem creepy at first, but after that had happened once or twice, the snake saw the guy. Its eyes seemed to burn, and the guy collapsed. He seemed to wither away, and I couldn't stop it. When the guy died, the snake laughed and turned to a different person. It was a girl, and she seemed devastated that the guy was dead. She pulled out a sword, and the dream ended.

Instead of watching that, I got up and walked to the beach. It was empty, so I didn't need to worry about anyone bugging me.

I sat down, and just listened to the tide.

It must've been an hour before I heard all the monsters coming. I turned around, and what seemed like endless monsters came.

I grabbed my sword and was about to charge them, but I felt something in the water.

I looked, and sea monsters were rushing through the water. They all bared fangs or growled or lifted their weapons.

Everywhere there were monsters, and they seemed intent to kill me. I fought but they never seemed to stop.

**End flashback**

I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Calm down, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth told me.

Nico and Will stared at me solemnly. "You did good," Will told me. "We would be doomed if those monsters had got past the shore."

I just sighed.

Annabeth looked at them. "What happened to you guys?"

**After Nico and Will told them their flashbacks…**

After Annabeth had heard what happened to Nico and Will, she seemed to stop and think about something.

"Goddess of victory? We're doomed. But something still bugs me…

"The monsters couldn't have gotten in on their own. Someone had to _let _them in."

I stared at her along with the other two guys.

I was confused. Was she saying what I thought she was saying? I asked the question that was on everyone's mind:

"You mean there's still a spy in camp?"

**Okay, probably five or six more chapters till the end! Read and review! **


	15. Chapter 15

**Okay so, after this there will be about one more chapter. Read them! … if you want, of course.**

**Once again Nikki's POV**

I stared out at the sea when Nico had left after telling me what had happened to him in the battle. I was trying to think of what Asclepius was going to do with the campers. I wondered what he'd do _to _the campers.

It was my fault. I should've known he'd attack camp. What else would he do? He was obviously out for something, and we stood in his way.

The question remained: what was he after, and how could we stop him?

He was obviously a madman. He was crazy, and most probably for revenge. But how on earth would he-

_Son of a gorgon!_

I understood his plan suddenly. Not all of it, but the overall objective. I jumped up to look for Percy, Annabeth, and Nico. I saw them with Will in the dining pavilion. They, like everyone else I had passed, looked grave.

I ran up behind them in time to hear Percy ask, "You mean there's still a spy in camp?"

I decided to pretend I hadn't heard and told them what Asclepius's objective was.

Percy, Nico, and Will look horrified, but Annabeth look skeptical. "He may be crazy, but is he that _stupid? _A lot of immortals have tried, and look where _that _got them."

"Annabeth, he doesn't care! If he's killed, then he'll just use the reverse-healing!" I cried.

"It took him _centuries _to come back the first time, so how on earth will he come back so quickly? It's just not possible-" She interrupted herself. Her eyes became wide, and her mouth was open in fear.

"What?" Nico asked. I was confused, too. It would take so much life force to regenerate quickly!

"Oh my gods." My throat tightened, and I couldn't breathe. Pieces fell into place, and the picture was becoming even clearer. It was like I'd been staring at a single puzzle piece, and hadn't noticed the rest was already done.

"He's going to use all the gods he recruited-" I started.

"-_and _the campers-" Annabeth added.

"-to regenerate every time he falls."

"That means that every time Zeus kills him –" Annabeth said.

"He'll come back until he's gotten his revenge," I continued. "We have to warn Olympus!"

"We need to tell Mr. D! _Now!" _Annabeth agreed.

"I'll find him!" I volunteered. I ran, my speed enhanced by the blessing, until I came across Chiron.

"Where is Mr. D?" I asked.

"He was called to Olympus to discuss what should be done, now that the camp – because of what just happened," he told me gravely.

"No! No, he needs to come back! I need to tell him something!" I yelled.

"Perhaps you should Iris message him?" he suggested.

"It's not safe – ugh, just never mind!" I turned around and ran back to Annabeth and the guys.

"He's gone. He left. We can't Iris message him. We can't warn him."

Percy asked the question I was thinking: "So, what do we do now?"

"I know what to do. The first thing is to ask you what you meant by 'there's still a spy at camp,'" I glared. I mean, when were they plan on telling me?

Nico glanced around nervously, but no one was talking. "Well, um, Will saw someone at the borders, and then when they left, the invasion started."

_Oh gods. _Someone was still betraying us. Someone was working for the people who wanted me dead. Someone was still working for my father. And, I swore, _someone _was going to die.

**Jack's POV**

"I gotta admit, Jack, I'm impressed. How'd you do it?" Rachel asked me.

I smirked. "I told you, I still have contacts. I said I wouldn't tell anyone – not even Asclepius. That means I won't to you, either. Sorry."

I turned away, and let my smile fall. I didn't know how much longer I could keep this up – it felt wrong to be doing this to her. It felt wrong to be lying so often.

I walked away from her and to my room. I closed the door quietly behind me, and lied down on my plush bed. I closed my eyes and cried, just wanting all this to stop.

I didn't want to be who I was being now. I just didn't.

**Now, let's pretend that this is a new chapter, because that one was way too short, but it ended dramatically.**

**Nikki's POV**

"Okay, you said telling you about the spy was the _first _thing. What's the second?" Will asked.

I smiled deviously. "Isn't obvious? We're going to rescue our camp!"

Annabeth's expression didn't change. "That's a great idea, but _how _exactly, are we going to do that?"

My smile grew. "We're going to make Asclepius speed up his plans. We're going to Olympus – now."

…

We told Argus our plan, and he nodded when we told him that Chiron wouldn't be allowed to know.

We got into the car, and went over Asclepius's objective and our plan.

I started from the top. "Asclepius will go straight for his objective – Zeus's bolt. Gods can't steal other gods' symbols of power, so he'll need a demigod with him. That'll probably be either Rachel, Jack, or both.

"I'm sorry, but he'll attack. He won't wait, so I'll go after him – I can heal as fast as he can hurt."

Everyone in the car nodded in agreement.

"Once he has the bolt, he'll try to kill Zeus. You have to admit – he's better at holding grudges the Hades.

"Anyway, we have to stop him. Warn the Olympians before the attack starts. It'll lure him out; he'll strike. With him will be his army - and the campers. They'll know to fight back. We'll make sure of it."

I smiled at the plan.

"But, Nikki, there's still one problem: You're missing three curses," Annabeth pointed out.

I gulped. "Actually, I'm only missing one. The last major curse. I found out last night that Hecate made it nearly impossible for me to use a sword – I sucked at it anyway, so it was minor. I found out this morning that my energy to build back up takes longer. As in, I can't heal myself or others _as _fast, but it was so small. I don't know who cast it – probably someone not at all related to healing. So, all that's left is a major curse."

Percy looked grave. "Something tells me your dad wants to go out with a bang."

"_Don't _call him that! He is not my dad! He is not my father! He's a monster, and it's disgusting that I'm related to him at all! So _don't _call him my dad like he's somehow this nice and great person that I care about!"

We rode in silence the rest of the trip. And believe me, it was a long ride.

…

We got to the Empire State building, and walked right up to the man at the desk.

"Six hundredth floor – now. It's important!" I told him.

He just kept staring at me blankly. I snapped my fingers at him, but he didn't flinch.

Fear flooded through me.

"No." I whispered quietly.

I grabbed looked for the key card, but I saw it already in the elevator.

"NO!" I screamed.

I ran, Percy, Annabeth, Nico, and Will close at my heels. All were pulling out their weapons.

We crammed into the elevator. Nico pressed the button for the 600th floor.

When we reached the top, we saw pure chaos – half of Olympus was on fire, and war was raging everywhere.

The horror of the situation sunk deep into me. "We're too late."

**The next chapter is the epic finale! I will update as soon as possible. After this, I will focus more on my "Olympus: Godly Challenges." Check it out if you haven't yet! **


	16. Chapter 16

**Nikki's POV**

"We're too late."

I stared at the scene before me. Monsters were attacking everything they saw – buildings, gods, anything not on their side. Rebel demigods were fighting alongside them. With sickening reality, I realized some of the fighters were campers. Traitors.

At the peak of the mountain, I could see Asclepius with Rachel and Jack, attacking the gods. Behind them were the campers. All were tied up and being pushed along by monsters not destroying everything.

Asclepius was sucking all the power from the gods, and they were falling left and right.

"Will you guys clear me a path?" I asked.

Will notched an arrow. Percy raised his sword. Annabeth lifted her dagger. Nico looked at me gravely and said, "Don't get yourself killed."

I smiled. "Have I ever let that happen?"

We all charged the monsters in the back. Riptide sliced through monsters like butter; Annabeth didn't stand still and landed blow after blow; Will shot at the monsters farther up, and collected the arrows again as we passed the place; Nico was moving his stygian iron sword with grace and killed monsters, sending them to Tartarus; I sucked the life essence straight out of anyone who took one wrong step.

We were racing through the defenses with ease and only stopped when we reached the campers at the great doors of Throne Room. We knew that inside was Asclepius, holding Zeus's master bolt, ready to kill him. With Rachel and Jack at his side.

"You got this?" I asked. "If yeah, then I'm going to go kill my father."

They nodded. They were tired, and I used some of the energy I was storing from all the monsters to heal them – give them new energy.

We ran to the monsters imprisoning our friends.

**Jack's POV**

Where was she? She should be here soon – scratch that, she should've been there already.

Asclepius already had the bolt in his hands, retrieved by Rachel. He was staring down at Zeus as he lay unconscious.

Rachel looked jittery. "Are we going to do it now?" she asked excitedly.

I cringed. She was disturbing and sick, but I still loved her. I doubted she would if she knew my secret. If she knew what I was.

"No. We must wait for Nikki, first. I have a gift for her, remember?" He chuckled darkly. He was terrifying in his young form. He was well-built, and the snake tattoo on his back looked ready to bite something, even though it was just a tattoo.

_It can't hurt you. Calm down! _I told myself, even though I was becoming more and more anxious with each passing minute. I knew he'd find out what I was very soon – probably when Nikki came to kill him. He'll definitely when it's Nikki I'll help.

He'll know I was working with the camp the whole time.

**Nikki's POV**

I ignored everything around me and ran straight for the throne room. I kept praying I wasn't late. I couldn't be late. Not after everything I'd done to help these freaking gods! I was not going to let Asclepius kill them!

I encountered no resistance as I ran through the monsters. They all let me pass. Asclepius was waiting for me.

I burst through the doors. Facing me were three figures. One was Asclepius in his young and strong form. On his right was Rachel, smiling evilly at me. The look on her face screamed _it's time._

To Asclepius's left was Jack. He was looking at me expectantly. He didn't look angry, as much as… worried? Why on earth did Jack feel worried?

Asclepius opened his arms grandly as if welcoming an old friend. In his right hand was the Rod of Asclepius, and in his left was Zeus's master bolt.

"Beautiful, isn't it? Its strength and power are unparalleled. It is truly unbeatable," my father said with admiration. He flicked his wrist, and faster than what I could process, the ground next to me was smoking and burnt from the lightning's electricity.

A cruel smile creeped across his face. "It's a shame you won't feel its fury, though. You'll just have to settle for watching it in action."

He looked down, and I noticed Zeus lying on the ground, unmoving.

"You're crazy. This is never going to work for you. You'll die, and I'll be the one to make sure it happens," I told him, all the malice I felt for him evident in my voice.

He laughed. "Nikki, you still don't get it! I've already won."

He raised the bolt, and stared down at Zeus. "Revenge has the sweetest taste – better than nectar, and it has a longer-lasting effect, too."

In a panic, I closed my eyes. I couldn't watch this.

A cry of pain resounded from the walls, echoing and being amplified by the emptiness of the room.

I opened my eyes to see Asclepius clutching his arm.

_Dear gods. _Not his arm – the stump that was where his arm had just been. Jack was holding his sword as it shined with ichor – the blood of the gods.

Jack was helping me.

"Get the bolt, Nikki!" he cried, and he lunged his sword at Asclepius. The god dodged, and rose his staff.

"You worthless TRAITOR!" he screamed. He swung his rod, and Jack was flung across the room. When he landed, he was pale and his eyes were closed.

With a sickening horror, I realized he was dead. "JACK!" I screamed at the same time as Rachel.

Rachel forgot me completely. She turned to Asclepius. Somehow, he had regenerated his entire arm.

Her eyes were filled with a fire of burning hatred. She looked at me for a split second, and her face said it all: kill the bastard that just killed Jack.

Great to know that we agreed on something.

Jack had been a double-agent the whole time. _He _had let the monsters in, because he was still a part of camp. He was still fighting for us. He loved Rachel, but he still needed to do the right thing. He lost his life saving us.

He lost his life because of Asclepius.

Rachel attacked my father with the dagger. His eyes were as angry as hers, and he raised his empty hand. Immediately, Rachel collapsed on the ground. Her eyes began to sink in; her cheek bones hollowed. Her skin began pulling closer to her bone, all strength being taken from her.

She looked at me. Her eyes turned glossy, and she stilled.

Rachel had been the real traitor, but she still helped us all in the end. Asclepius had just killed two people who had wanted to help.

And he was going to pay.

He turned toward me, but I was faster. Instantly, I felt a new sense of power I'd never felt before. I felt glowing, powerful, unbeatable. I felt like a god.

Asclepius looked weaker. He stared at me and realized what was happening the same time I did. I was stealing his energy and trapping it inside myself.

I noticed the bolt lying next to me. Reaching down, I picked it up. Sensing someone other than its master, it sent powerful shocks into my hand and up my arm. I felt my skin searing off but regenerating just as quickly. I stared at Asclepius, a pure hate overcoming me.

His hair was turning to white, his muscles seemed to be weakening, and he seemed to be completely turning back to his older form. He fell onto the ground. He stared up at me and smiled.

"Nikki, before you kill me, we must make the prediction true. You must receive your final curse.

"I swear that you will be safe, but will be damning those you care for." As he spoke, the head of his snake tattoo appeared on his shoulder.

"You will be ensuring their demise the closer you get to them."

It slithered down his arm and onto the floor. Impossibly, it transformed into a real snake. It turned its beady eyes on me.

"The deeper you care for them, the more terrible their life will be."

Silently, it crossed the floor and reached me. I was paralyzed with fear.

"Eventually, they will die."

The snake bit my ankle, but instead of feeling a burning pain, it formed back into a tattoo against my skin.

"Their death won't be swift. It will be slow, painful, and unbearable."

I felt the snake move up my body until it reached my back. It came to rest the exact way it had on Asclepius's back.

"And it will be your fault."

The snake burned. I could feel it searing itself onto my skin, into my soul.

I stared at Asclepius as he lay weakly on the ground.

"Enjoy killing the people you care about."

I threw the bolt at him.

…

I walked away from the pile of ashes and turned towards Zeus.

I concentrated, and pushed all of the power from my father into him.

"Lord Zeus?" I asked quietly.

He lifted his head. When his eyes focused, they landed on me, then the bodies of my friends, then the ashes.

He nodded his head in respect.

Standing, he extended his hand, and I placed the bolt in it. He walked out of the throne room and stared at all the monsters outside.

At the sight of the god alive and well, they fled, their numbers few.

I stared around at what was left behind. I only saw Will, and his arm was bleeding deeply.

I made a move to go to him, but Zeus stopped me.

"I must speak to you first," he said, staring at me.

I gulped and nodded.

We stepped into the throne room, but not before I saw the other Olympians walking away from the elevator's entrance to Olympus.

Once all were in their thrones again, Zeus spoke: "Nicole, daughter of Asclepius, you have proved me wrong. You have not only worked against your father, but you have destroyed him. You saved me, though I had originally killed your father."

I didn't know what to say. I didn't feel like the words had any meaning. I just stared at Jack's and Rachel's bodies. So empty. I couldn't save either of them. I knew that, even if I tried, my final curse would come and kill them again.

I felt tears forming in my eyes, but I shoved my feelings down. _I will _not _cry after I just saved Zeus. _I told myself, even though I was sure I'd start crying anyway.

"Anything else?" I asked in a thick voice, staring at the ground.

Apollo cleared his throat. "Uh, yeah. If you want, you can stay in my cabin in Camp Half-blood if you don't want to stay in your father's anymore."

I smiled thankfully and nodded. "I'd like that. Thank you, Lord Apollo."

Aphrodite squealed. "You and Nico are the cutest couple EVER!"

I felt a tight smile cross my face. I hadn't realized how happy I was Nico had asked me out.

Athena, however, glared. "Don't tell her that." Looking at me with pity she said, "Nico was moved to a temporary infirmary. He was injured severely."

I felt something similar to the force of a wall run into my heart. _Oh gods, _I thought. _The curse._

"Can I leave?" I asked bluntly.

Zeus looked dangerously offended, but nodded.

I turned and ran from the room, intending to run right for the infirmary. However, something stopped me. I thought about my curse; how it said that the closer I get to the ones I care about the more likely they were to suffer a terrible fate. I couldn't do that to Nico. I couldn't do that to Percy, or Annabeth, or Will. I couldn't do that to the camp.

That meant I couldn't be near the camp. That meant I couldn't be near Percy, Annabeth, or Will. That meant – that meant I couldn't be near Nico.

Just being there would kill them. Nico was hurt as it was – if I came, it'd only make matters worse. I swallowed a lump in my throat.

Unable to stop, I cried at the thought of never being able to be with anyone I cared about again. I couldn't be with any of my friends from camp. I couldn't be with any of my friends from my old school, even if there weren't that many to begin with. I couldn't be become emotionally attached to anyone new. It'd kill them.

I stumbled slowly towards the elevator. It was nearly impossible to see through my tears, but I didn't stop. I had to get away from here. I had to get away from the people I'd have called my family.

I knew that if I stayed, I'd kill them. So, the answer was simple:

I wouldn't stay. I'd leave and, to keep the people I cared about safe, I'd never look back.

**The end.**

**How was it? If you liked it, tell me! Thanks for reading, and check out my other (not so downer) stories like **_**Olympus: Ask the Gods. **_**Also, vote on a poll (I have yet to create… note to self…) if you want a sequel or not! **

**-ninja**


	17. Author's note again

**Okay. This story is over, but Nicholas's has yet to begin! Read my new story, a sequel to this one, called "Unknown."**


End file.
